The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Phew! It’s been months since I went out with the camera and so even though we have barely enough snow to cover the ground, I decided to head out before it melts completely in the coming week. So because the sky was threatening freezing rain, I stuck reasonably close to home and went to my favorite bit of the Prairie River knowing there’d at least be ice. Shelves and shelves of it as well as the more typical formations like this in my favorite little cascade. As well as being in the fresh air with a roaring river for company, I got to explore all the tracks in the snow - grouse, squirrel, deer, coyote, snowshoe hare, mice, otters and probably mink, but it was hard to tell. I really hope this isn’t another non-winter winter so I can do it again.
Specific Feedback
Just ice in the typical way it forms on fast-moving water. I like the curves and the balance. Didn’t have to force it to make it work. Too boring though? I couldn’t move much due to not wanting to fall in.
Lr for initial processing including added contrast and texture, a crop and some work with white balance. Ps to remove a distraction and add a tiny warm, Orton glow to only the highlights.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Kris: Falling in here would not be good. I was with Morris McClung several years ago at Dream Lake in RMNP with temps below zero and he stepped through the ice on the outlet stream. We had to beat a hasty retreat down the mountain but since he was a native he had the presence of mind to have dry socks and a spare pair of boots in his truck.
You have such a good eye for the intimate scene. I don’t find this boring at all. The comp with the stream flowing through is marvelous and the detail in the fringe of the shelves is wonderful. Kudos to you for getting out and capturing a special place. >=))>
I like how the rushing water in the FG pulls the into the scene, but then I really get stuck at the ice formations. The top of the scene never really gets any attention, but cropping it out would not work compositionally. It is neat how the ice changes shape, texture, and clarity as the ice gets closer to the rushing water. Fascinating.
Not boring at all Kris; it’s very nice. My favorite part is the contrast of the waterflow contrasting with the ice; that was a great shutter speed choice. I also like how the water changes direction and sweeps out of the frame in the lrc.
I have no real thoughts on improving this, but a couple “YMMV” thoughts to play with. I like the yellow/blue color contrast you have, and it might be fun to exaggerate that. It’s cheating, but removing some of the dark bits caught in the ice is another thing to play with.
Not boring at all!! The SS rendered the flowing water with enough energy to show what is going on and the ice formations are beautiful! I love the colors, too. No suggestions!
What a wonderful image. There is so much implied movement here. Lots of energy. I also like the almost sensuality of the snow’s texture. I think the short depth of field actually increases that sense of movement. Not boring at all.
Hi Kris,
Not boring for me! Your winter sounds like what we have in the part of MD where I live. I am enjoying the implied motion in this waterscape as well as the amazing details in the ice. The little zigzag through the ice channel is another nice touch in this scene. Really nicely done IMO.
Not boring at all! What caught my eye was the clear ice directly over the flowing water, my eyes enjoyed the journey upstream. The amount of snow, ice and water complement each other without one dominating the other in this composition. Well done! The bonus was the journey to this location, wish we had some snow/ice nearby…
Kris, my first reaction is the same as @Bill Fach’s - stay dry and don’t fall in. I love the textures and sense of forward motion, unusual as we usually see motion leading us toward the background. I also like the color as it is, without too much vibrance or saturation. Super image.
Wonderful image, Kristen. There is so much to like in this picture but I am most struck by the composition, which is beautifully balanced without any symmetry. Next is the colour palette, which is perfectly subtle and accentuates that everything we are seeing is water, but in two different states, solid and liquid. The shutter speed is perfect, one that I prefer when shooting moving water, such that I get a good feel for the movement without losing the detail that gives this image so much of its energy. This sort of intimate landscape is always fun to make but tricky to pull off. I think you nailed it.
Thanks @Kerry_Gordon - phew, glad the color works for you. I did tweak it slightly, but not enough that it looks unnatural. Also played with a lot of different shutter speeds during the day and discovered that it isn’t one-size-fits-all, but some faster or slower work better with certain ice formations. It was a good day and now all the snow is gone and there is open water on the river in back (the Wisconsin, not the Prairie). A week ago it was frozen solid. I’m hoping this changes so I can get out more.
