Photographing the seasonal bright yellow fields of canola

Yellow canola field South Australia

It is the spring of 2025 in Australia and each year I trek out to photograph those amazing canola fields.

 

Stopping on the side of the road we see that the fields are a brilliant yellow again, not quite ready for harvest, but certainly ready for the keen photographer.

Farmers fill Yorke Peninsula with wheat, barley, canola, and many other varieties of plants.  The peninsula has apparently very fertile limestone soils, and the region is known for significant crop growth.

The canola fields can develop into a brilliant and almost effervescent yellow. It’s all about timing. If you photograph too soon, there will be an almost equal amount of green in your image. If you are a week or so too late the flowers will have started to fall to the ground and you will once again see alot of green in your image. I have the privilege of regularly driving past these fields, hence my images are at the point when the flowers were most prolific. Usually late August early September depending on when the farmer has planted his crop.

There seemed to be an abundance of crows this year, flying, chattering and then completely disappearing amidst the yellow blooms!

When photographing these fields

I try and look for suitable skies. I find daytime with either a grey or a blue sky is best for me. A pink glow at sunset is nice too, but we seemed to only be driving by during the day.

When editing my shots I will try to make the field completely yellow and take out the often hints of green in the leaves. I use the colour slider to do this.

Often its good to look for one bird or tree as this adds variety to your image.

Try close up and long distance. Use an aperture over f5.6 for those long shots and an aperture of around f2.5 for close ups.

As the photographer develops their own taste and style, you will be able to ascertain what time of day you like the best.

 

Solitary tree and a yellow canola field
One bird sitting in a tree with blurred yellow canola field in the background
Crows in a canola field with dark grey skies
Dividing line between canola field and wheat field
Bent tree and canola field
Canola field and trees
Pink salt lake in the centre of a canola field

A pink salt lake just outside Yorketown amidst the canola.

Canola and crows flying

Crows finding food

canola reaching for the sky
Vast fields of canola
Trees in the background of a canola field
Canola field and a lonely tree
Trees in a canola field
Green and yellow, canola
Two trees in a canola field
Bird amidst the canola
Canola and a tree with grey skies

Each year I eagerly wait for these fields to turn yellow so I can photograph them. Each year brings something different. Strange skies, new trees, birds flying through, and also we see the hand of the creative farmer with lines and patterns.

I hope you enjoy these shots.

All images are taken by Wendy Philip. No AI generated images.