September 27

This is a photo I've been wanting for a while now.  I tried it last year near sunset, and didn't like the results.  So this year I decided to try near sunrise at a farm just a few miles from my house.  The volume of tomatoes harvested around here absolutely amazes me.  After photographing I had a chance to talk to the foreman, and he told me that this field is yielding 46 tons per acre.  This field is small, only about 40 acres.  I wonder how many acres in the Central Valley are planted with tomatoes each year.  Also he said that this yield is low, because it's the fifth straight year that tomatoes have been planted here.  One thing I wish I'd done differently about this photo is wait until the truck was almost full, because it would be a lot more colorful.  I also wish I'd taken this photo when the harvester was still a little closer.  This was my 80-200 lens so I don't know why I waited until 145mm.  Oh well...maybe a photo for next year. f/4.5 at 1/4000, ISO400, 145mm.