After freezing rain, I found these ice-covered tree branches in our back yard. I used a telephoto lens in an attempt to simplify the scene by creating patterns of repeating elements
Specific Feedback Requested
All feedback welcome!
Technical Details
Nikon D800, Nikkor 200-500 mm @200mm, ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/1600. File processed in ACR and cropped slightly. I flipped the frame horizontally and cropped it slightly. Added a monochrome adjustment and also did some toning in PS. Shout out to @John_Williams for showing me the toning technique he uses!
Here is the raw file I started with:
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Hi Patrick – This is a great subject! I love all the little details in the ice. Given the chaotic nature of the scene, I think you did a good job with the composition and I like the flow of the branches. I am wondering if you also tried any single branches with a simple background, in addition to this version with repeating limbs in the background. If I were approaching this scene, I probably would have tried to isolate just one branch and never tried this more chaotic version, so this is a good reminder for me to sometimes try things that are more complex/chaotic/messy.
I think the toning works well here, as it conveys the cold feel that is natural to the scene. I am not sure how you feel about cloning but if this were mine, I might consider doing more cleanup of spots in the background and a few errant branches (like on the left edge, there are a few softer branches that come into the scene without any connection to the dominant limbs). I think I would also darken the background more in some spots to further simplify and even out the tonality across the scene (for example, I would darken the background in the lower left, left fourth, and bottom fourth). I think these little changes could help the best parts of the scene stand out a bit more and minimize the chaos a tiny bit. Otherwise, I am enjoying this a lot.
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@Sarah_Marino, thank you for your thoughtful critique!
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I think that toning looks great Patrick! The silver look really accentuates the coolness the ice conveys. Nice abstract!
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