The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Hey now - I went outside. In the woods. With the camera!
It was really nice to be out, especially on this remote section of trail that gets very little traffic in summer, and much, much less in winter. All we could hear was our footsteps, the wind and an occasional bird and hospital helicopter. My first snowshoe trek of the season and two hours was about enough since I had to break trail. Perfect blue skies and shining sun, sparkly snow and single digit temps. More snow is coming over the next week, a little bit every other day or so. Fine with me.
It was good there are so many miles of timber roads in this area (county forest) because the snow load on the trees made going down the normal footpath pretty unpleasant. Normally the snow is too dry and fluffy to stick like this, especially in the wind, but it started as rain and the snow is frozen to everything. It won’t come off until it gets warm. The perfect conditions for this kind of beauty.
Specific Feedback
Nothing really, it’s more of a picture share, but I can’t resist a trail shot and who doesn’t love snow in the January sun? Suggestions for improvement welcome.
Technical Details
Handheld with a polarizer because I forgot to take it off and didn’t have anywhere to put it. Ha.
Lr for a bit of a crop and some transform tools to adjust geometry. Lifted whites, highlights and shadows quite a bit and adjusted the wb slightly warmer. Some masks to balance out tones and reduce the blue in the shadows. A little sharpening and texture added.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Vision and Purpose:
Conceptual:
Emotional Impact and Mood:
Composition:
Balance and Visual Weight:
Depth and Dimension:
Color:
Lighting:
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Technical:
Hi Kristen,
This is inviting even as it displays the cold. That’s hard to capture. I love the sun on the snow, the bent brush and trees, that small bit of blue airy sky.
The main arched tree is especially nice and offers a kind of gateway into the winter wonderland. To me, it ads depth that the road alone would not have provided.
Inviting is exactly the word that jumped into my mind too (despite the fact that the arching branch would probably dump a bunch of snow on you passing under it ).
I was able to get in a few miles a week ago, and hope to go camping next weekend. I’m currently fighting a bug, so we’ll see.
Wow – gorgeous!! I never knew how snow managed to stick to trees like that. It should do it more often as it’s fairytale lovely – as is the image itself! I hope to see more – nothing but boring rain here.
Thanks @Marylynne_Diggs, @John_Williams & @Diane_Miller - I’m so glad you found it inviting. So many of our friends just don’t understand winter at all. A day like yesterday is a treasure and even though it was 8 degrees, I had my gloves off most of the time. Heart rates were up very slightly as it is a bit of work in that kind of snow.
Kris: This makes me SOOOooooo glad I live in Southeast Texas! After growing up in Southern Indiana (nowhere near as cold as where you are) I got my most severe cold experience in South Korea on a duty assignment in the Air Force. They gave me an arctic parka upon my arrival in August 1976 and I was using it by the end of September. Since being assigned to an air base in Las Vegas and subsequently moving to Texas in 1985 I have decided I prefer to sweat than shiver. HOWEVER, there are times when I get to choose to travel to cold places and thoroughly enjoy the challenges and opportunities so I do envy you your intimacy with the conditions and expertise in dealing with them. This is such a simple scene but one can almost hear the silence and I really appreciate your description. Really nicely done and I’m looking forward to more of your winter work from the comfort of my nice warm house. BTW, it’s 68 degrees in our garden right now . >=))>
Good thing we have so many climates! I hate to sweat and would rather just put on a coat. It’s lightly snowing now, adding to the beauty all around. On the next sunny day, I might just go out again.
This looks like a perfect place for a quiet walk, especially in winter! I really enjoy how you composed this – that arching tree over the trail is a wonderful addition to this winter wonderland!
Oh my, what a perfectly inviting scene, Kris. That arch just says enter. The dappled light hitting the snow is sensational. What a peaceful and inviting scene. Really good of you to break down and grab the camera and get this shot. SO awesome to see you posting again. I wish I had scene’s like this where I live. I can hear how quiet it is. I love winter even though we don’t get any snow where I live. It’s my favorite season by far. Maybe it’s because we don’t get any snow that it’s my favorite landscape scene.
Anyway, good of you to grab the camera and share a quiet and peaceful scene with all of us.
Thanks @Ola_Jovall, @Tom_Nevesely & @Igor_Doncov - I can never resist a bendy tree. Not sure if it’s only the snow, or previous storms that brought that one low, but I’ll take it either way. Hopefully after this rain, we’ll get more snow and I can head out again. It was refreshing both for body and creative spirit.
).
. >=))>