Castle and Sunflowers Panorama

September 14, 2015

SFLWZCASTL


The panorama above, composed of nine separate photos, shows a field of sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) accenting the Castillo de Berlanga de Duero in north central Spain. It was captured just after noon on August 24, 2015. The sunflowers are seemingly pointing their heads away from the hot midday, August Sun. A common misconception with sunflowers is that they track the Sun across the sky. Actually, the uniform alignment of the flowers results from heliotropism during their bud stage, before the appearance of flower heads. The buds face to the east -- the morning Sun. The flowers themselves simply preserve this orientation.
 
Photo Details: Canon 5d mark III camera; 24-105 mm lens with polarizing filter; tripod. All nine photos taken with 1/250 sec. exposure; f/9; ISO 160.