Victoria’s Amazing Fields of Gold
Spring means Canola! As far as the eye can see, Victoria’s amazing fields of gold are blooming. Also in flower are fields from Western Australia’s Wheat Belt, South Australia’s Clare Valley, NSW’s Riverina and Central West, and Victoria’s South West are ablaze with blooming yellow Canola fields. Blooms are at their best from mid-September through to mid-October. The yellow blooms attract many Instagrammers and photographers each year, and it’s not hard to see why, with brilliant, bright yellow flowers set against colourful Australian landscapes.
This year in Victoria, growing conditions have been perfect, and farmers are gearing up for a bumper harvest. But, with this year’s lockdowns, I would hazard a guess that farmers are also very relieved that those same Instagrammers and photographers can’t trample their fields looking for the perfect shot.
Canola (Brassica napus L.) is an oilseed crop created through plant crossbreeding. Scientists in Canada developed an edible version of the rapeseed plant, which — on its own — harbors toxic compounds called erucic acid and glucosinolates. The name “canola” comes from “Canada” and “ola,” denoting oil
Healthline
While no cooking oil is “healthy”, Canola is the world’s healthiest cooking oil, second only to Olive Oil. Our bodies require fat – but some fats are healthier than others, and Canola provides more ‘good’ fats than bad. It’s a rich source of Vitamin E, is cholesterol-free and contains the least saturated fat than many other common cooking oils. Canola also has many non-food uses, such as biodiesel and bioplastics. In the US, it is also used in baby formula. In addition, the Canola meal – the part left over after the seeds are crushed and oil extracted, is used for animal feed, pet food and fertiliser.
the canola plant
Canola is a herbaceous plant growing between 1 to 2 metres in height. The leaves are oval-shaped and hairy at the edges, with small yellow flowers that are a rich source of nectar that attracts bees. The flowers are capable of self-pollination – when cross-pollination is not available. The seed-containing pod is similar to a pea pod but five times smaller. Each pod contains 20 black or brown round seeds and contains 40% oil. It takes 22.5kg to make 10 litres of oil
Two types of protein are extracted from the Canola meal – these are used industrially in sports drinks and protein-enriched foods. Compounds isolated from canola are used in the cosmetic industry for soaps, lipsticks, anti-aging creams and moisturizing lotions. Two types of resins isolated from canola are used in the manufacture of ink
Locations
Where are these amazing fields of gold? In Victoria, you will find canola around Little River and Bellarine Peninsula, in Sunbury, along the Western Highway, heading towards the Grampians, Ballarat, Rokewood and one of the largest fields in the area, near Lexton. They also line the Goulburn Valley Highway to Shepparton and are plentiful around Nagambie and Dookie.
Safely Photographing Canola
- Look, but don’t touch! – Walking on or among the fields causes crop damage
- Don’t enter private property without permission – the perfect selfie does not justify trespassing
- Only pull over where it is safe to do so
Tips for Photographing Canola
- If you want wide-sweeping vistas, a wide-angle lens will be needed. However, if you don’t own a wide-angle, either stand further back to include more of the scene – or shoot a pano.
- Another good lens to have on you is a zoom – the fields rarely have public access, so standing behind the fence, you will need a zoom lens to get closeups of the flowers. (All of my shots were taken with a zoom lens)
- Most fields have roads or paths quite close, so you can easily shoot over the fence. If you can’t get close enough, pull out the zoom
- Use a slower shutter speed for creative blur if it’s breezy
- Use a polarizing filter to enhance contrast
Best Weather And Time of Day
- Look for side lighting – and avoid backlit scenes
- It’s spring, which means it’s windier than at other times of the year. Try to pick a still day or enjoy the view while you wait for the wind gusts to stop.
- Partly cloudy days will give you lovely sunshine, so the canola flowers pop, but also ensure the sky is interesting with some puffy clouds. Dark skies of approaching rain – but the sun still shining are fantastic. But rare 🙁
- Sunrise and sunset also work great. Either use an ND Grad to bring the sky down or bracket your shots
- Look for tractor tracks for leading lines and trees to pull the eye into the photograph.
- Foreground interest – gates and fences
- Shoot at F8 and above to get front-to-back sharpness
- However, if you are super close to the canola, focus stack to avoid foreground blur
NOTE: An update to this post can be found on Goulburns Golden Blanket
Good luck with your hunting the Canola, Victoria’s Fields of Gold.
Great article Bev.We have also seen a great field in Winton, VIC, just off the Hume Fwy, on Winton-Glenrowan Rd. ?
Apparently we have one close to Bairnsdale. Looking forward to checking it out.
Thanks for the article
Great article Bev. Hope we can get on the toad soon.