Photo of the Week: Mar. 9, 2008

HOW I GOT THE SHOT: The Anemone Coronaria – the poppy anemone or "kalanit" in Hebrew, is one of the most widespread and beloved flowers in Israel. For a few weeks each spring, they provide ultra-dramatic coloring to hillsides and valleys that are brown and dry for most of the year. Red is the most common color, but pink, purple and white kalaniyot are also found in smaller numbers across central and northern Israel. This shot was taken in Emek HaEla, across from the well-known Bezeq satellite station. From the main road, the red fields certainly catch your eye, but as usual the prize lay in taking a few extra minutes to follow a dirt road to the heart of the field. Landscapes, like portraits, are not flattered when the camera is aimed uphill, but a wide angle lens combined with the contours of this scene, especially the slight dip in the land at the bottom of the photo, allowed the full visual effect of the flowers to come across. The rest of the composition was determined by the sweeping line of trees, with two clumps of larger trees set at either side of the image. The dark green of the tree line also provides a nice contrast to the blue sky and red flowers. This shot was taken at mid-morning, because the flowers remain closed during the early morning and late afternoon hours, when the sun is lower in sky.