This is another picture from my snow shots. I just really love bare trees. I think they’re so beautiful and the snow emphasizes their lovely shapes.
I wasn’t sure if for this I should have included the road or not. This angle wasn’t my favorite because it includes a lot of human elements like signs and picnic tables, but I also wanted to include all the trees…
Is this a composite: No
1/60 shutter. And I made it black and white.
The human elements in the background are pretty minor parts of the scene and they are not too intrusive to me. The trees are the star here, and they clearly are dominant. I think including the road can work, because the diagonal line of the snowbank adds something of a dynamic element to the composition. I would however suggest cropping away about half of the road pavement from the bottom. This would make the trees more prominent in the overall composition.
My other suggestion would be to be more careful about where you place the top frame edge. As presented, the tips of the tree limbs are just barely cut off. I would prefer to see a more deliberate crop, with a small amount of bare sky above the tree tips, so we can see the full shape of the tree. Little things like this can make a big difference in the final look of the image.
That makes so much sense @Ed_McGuirk . You totally nailed what I didn’t know was wrong with this. If I had just pointed the phone up just a bit that big tree would have looked so much better! Thanks for noticing that. I really appreciate it.
The way things look along frame edges can be very important. You want to make the placement of things like the top of tree look like a deliberate choice. Try to slow down and study your frame edges before taking a shot, these things are easier to fix in the field than after the fact.
Lol! Yeah, I can’t really fix it after the fact! That’s funny, and a good lesson, thanks for your advice!
Real nice winter scene and I agree with @Ed_McGuirk 's input about the top. You actually can easily fix that by adding canvas and cloning in some sky. It is also easy to finish off the tree top with some sky above. It would take a bit of time but is not too hard to do.
This is a lovely winter scene, Raven. The high key approach works really well for this image and the diagonal placement of the road adds a little visual tension. You have already gotten some great suggestions from @Ed_McGuirk and @Harley_Goldman that will kick this image up another notch.
Hi @Harley_Goldman I’m not sure if I can do that or not but I’ll have to see. That’s a good idea. Thanks for your advice!
Thanks @Ed_Lowe I’m glad you like the black and white and the composition. I appreciate your feedback.
