What photographer can resist the lure of a field of poppies? Bright splashes of red in a verdant landscape are irresistible though can be tricky to photograph. Too few can look lost and understated, too many can overpower. Finding a patch with a good ratio and some shape was a key requirement for this shot.

This was taken at the end of the day as the sun dropped low on the horizon to give soft warm lighting. The downside of shooting poppies this late on a windy day is that they can look a bit battered and second hand. I extended the exposure time here to take advantage of the breeze and motion blur the flowers. Now nobody will notice that these are less than perfect specimens.

Date: 30/06/2013

Location: Kent