The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
More critter tracks from my snowshoe trek in February. The light was pretty special when I was out - there were some thin, high clouds now and again that filtered things perfectly. Shadows are a bit less intense and so is the glare off the very sparkly snow. This is probably a weasel, because it doesn’t have a tail track. Weasels hold their tails high as they bound from place to place. I liked the possibilities and the angle of the sun, and tried several compositions with both landscape and portrait orientations. Using a medium telephoto also gave me the compression needed to tie the elements together a little tighter and I think that really helps. The distance between the prints is actually greater than it appears here, another reason I think it was an ermine and not a mouse. Probably a Least Weasel - they’re about the size of chipmunks, but with longer bodies and they turn white in winter.
Specific Feedback
The big challenge here was getting the exposure right for the snow which made me need to crank up the shadows in that lichen-y stick quite a bit. When you view a scene like this IRL, your irises naturally expand and contract slightly to allow you to see it in a more balanced way, and that’s what I was going for. Also placed the focus on the stick and let it fall off naturally before and after. Does it look normal? Snow was reflecting the sky so I left it slightly blue as well.
Lr for most of the processing including some exaggerated push and pull on sliders to accentuate the limited amount of contrast in the scene. Also tweaked the wb a little. Ps to remove some distractions.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Kris: Great find and a superb capture and presentation. When I first saw the thumbnail my immediate question was, "what makes tracks like this?’ Your explanation of the weasel bounding instead of stepping solves the mystery. I do like your DOF choice. The uninterrupted path through the snow tells me the weasel had zero interest in your stick but I’m glad you did. Nicely seen and wonderfully processed. >=))>
Kris this is so minimalistic artistic. I really like it. The DOF is fine, I think it represents what the human eye would see if focused on the stick. Processing is superb as always.
So, so often it is the simple scenes, simple compositions that garner the most attention. You’ve certainly captured that in this little scene.
At first I was unsure about the depth of field, especially with the soft foreground… but then I started to appreciate how you used the narrow dof to help tell the story.
I don’t disagree and maybe I’m seeing things, but the weasel track seems to take a little jag to the left right at the stick. I can imagine the little critter at least getting a sniff… more little stories to tell from this simple scene.
Beautifully seen and great job recognizing the potential. No nits or suggestions.
Thanks @Lon_Overacker - I think the little guy did make a slight swerve there and hence my title, but who knows what goes on in their little brains.
Lately I’ve been deliberately choosing different lenses for their optical characteristics to help me create an image and tell a story. Mainly it’s resulted in my keeping the medium tele on the camera as I walk through the woods. It compresses things beautifully in a way that sometimes mimics how we actually see. Plus I really love that lens even as old as it is (I bought it in 2013).
Very cool! I visualized some sort of little hippitty-hoppity creature. Quite admirable to bound along so neatly. I love the composition with the foreshortening, the DOF and the detail in the snow. Good outing!!
