981 - Cover Photo 07/02/2022
by Larry Lawhead
Butterweed in the Woods - BetterPhoto 2nd Place Winner, May 2022 Columbia Bottom Conservation Area is one of the local spots I frequent for photos. Located at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, but across the Missouri from the actual point of the confluence (which is in Edward "Ted" and Pat Jones-Confluence Point State Park). The park is a bit up these days, several of the roads and trails were damaged in floods a few years ago, and haven't been restored. Including the road to the actual confluence, which is about 1 mile from the turn-off..
On this day, I decided to walk down the closed road, just to explore. I didn't get far before finding a scoured out area that was too wet / muddy to walk though, and too overgrown to edge around. So I headed aff the road along an open swath and came to this area where the trees were a bit thinner and the undergrowth was exploding with bright yellow butterweed. A nice bit of happenstance. Camera: Fujifilm X-T3
Exposure: 1/500th sec
Aperture: f/5.0
ISO Speed: 400
Focal Length: 48.4 mm (72.6mm equivalent)
When I took this, I was planning the full ETSOOI treatment (edit the stuffing out of it). But when I pulled it up in digital darkroom, I decided NOT to to go the heavily affected route. This is just "normal" tweaks.
Butterweed in the Woods
Contest Winning Photo