The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Another slice of the river bank from the other day. There was a thaw a week or so before and I can only imagine how thick the ice shelf was before that. This remained, about 14 inches or so and the striations were cool as is the angled notch anchored by the trees. That is more ice shelf on the far right and islands in the water made up of rocks and probably logs. It’s part of what makes this section of the Prairie my favorite and on this trip I again tried to find subjects or aspects of subjects that only winter provides. Ice is certainly one.
Specific Feedback
My main issue is with clean up - I did some in the ice shelf itself where a lot of very bright bits just made it look odd even though they are entirely natural. Snow had a lot of debris from the blizzard and I did some clean up at the edges, but left a lot there. Thoughts? I also deliberately left the shutter speed high and used a polarizer to remove the reflection for a deeper color. The water is very tannic so quite dark.
Technical Details
Could be handheld, but maybe a tripod, can’t recall since I used both while I was out. Polarizer
Lr for Leica Monochrome camera matching profile and a lot of work with global and local adjustments to bring out detail in the ice shelf itself and underneath and to manage the huge dynamic range. Texture, clarity and some sharpening after denoise. Crop to isolate the scene better and also some distraction removal here and there.
Hi Kris,
I like this. The other one (Symphony) was more artistic, perhaps, but this one has a lot going for it. To me, the most interesting part of the image is the middle. There is a lot going on in this one, so cropping is tricky (do we get rid of a trunk, one of the ice sheets, etc).
I think it’s worth playing around with and perhaps trying a less panoramic crop p( 2x3 or 5x7 or square) and removing the small sapplings on the right. I played with a couple of quick crops of screenshots, and this one came close to what I think might help the viewer focus on the striations, etc.
I think I’d try to get that bit of water turbulence more securely inside the frame and perhaps a tish more room on the right-most trunk and the peninsula of snow.
Of course, winter is messy, and all the stuff in this is part of communicating that feeling of a creekside scene after a storm, so it might make sense to keep all the trunks, all the sapplings, etc. I’m curious to see what other feedback you get.
ML
I love the ice shelf, Kris, and for me it should get a bit more attention in the composition. I like the composition that @Marylynne_Diggs came up with, though I’d take it further and get rid to the trunk to the left of the pair that anchors the shelf. I couldn’t figure out a crop that would work to eliminate the one on the right, but I do wish it weren’t there.
As for cleanup, I think it looks just fine with this degree of debris.
Thanks @Marylynne_Diggs & @Dennis_Plank - oh cropping decisions!!! I’m playing a bit with it, but can’t seem to land on anything I feel works. Maybe it’s just not doable. Some scenes are just for the eyes, not the camera.
