As far as assignments go, Golden Hour was one that was relatively easy to shoot. As long as the sun is out, there isn't really anything that you can't shoot.
I chose to look for landscape representations of this assignment as I was already out shooting a specific landscape involving the moonrise and this was a logical extension of that trip.
I'm fortunate enough to live in an area that was once predominantly oak trees and grassland, and while much of this habitat has been intentionally or unintentionally altered, there are many pockets of oak trees remaining.
These two scenes caught my eye for different reasons. The top image captured the classic shape of an oak in the evening haze before sunset. I love the soft light on the grass and the farm in the background that emphasizes why many people are drawn to rural living.
The second tree depicting numerous trees in a farm field caught my eye because of the shape and relative spacing of the trees to each other. I love the varying heights of the trees and the almost equal gaps between them. The position of the sun on the horizon adds a fifth element to the frame and balances out the composition. The warm glow creating silhouettes around the trees added some richness to the scene as well.
While not a stretch artistically, I was happy with my results and ready to catch the moonrise shortly thereafter.
On Taking Assignments
I frequently listen to the On Taking Pictures (OTP) podcast, which I highly recommend to anyone looking for good conversation about creativity, especially as it related to photography. In January 2014 the hosts, Bill Wadman and Jeffery Saddoris, began a new segment of weekly assignments that they gave to listeners. Results of the assignments are posted on the OTP Google Plus group. I decided that I would commit myself to the assignments for a year without interruption, and that I would complete each one before the next assignment was announced on the show each Tuesday morning. My 'On Taking Assignments' blog posts are the culmination of my year-long focus on these assignments.