So it’s still damp, rainy and cold with lingering snow and ice and while spring may have sprung for many of you, it hasn’t in northern Wisconsin. In that spirit, I have a pair of my final winter images (at least I hope they are for a while). It’s a local pond that I walked out onto when we had freezing fog overnight in mid-March. It was cloudy, but breaking up and the frost didn’t last long when the temps rose above freezing. But for a while it was really nice.
Specific Feedback Requested
Next time it freezes I can go out again…any thoughts are welcome to improve. Which white balance do you prefer?
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Handheld on snowshoes. Some standing, some kneeling. Manual mode.
Lightroom for all processing - it was still foggy and the light flat, so it was challenging to find foregrounds and to manage the overall tonality which was basically shades of white. Some fiddling with white balance, although I’m still not 100% happy with it. This kind of light is really tough. Texture and sharpening. Lens correction as usual. Photoshop for some different masking to separate the subtle tones in the whites.
Both are lovely winter scenes, but my favorite is the first one Kristen. The layering with the brush in the FG followed by the BG trees works rather nicely IMO. I particularly like the details and textures in the treeline. My only suggestion; just my personal preference; would be to clone out the dead tree trunk near the center of the frame. Nicely done!
I really, really like these images, Kristen! They both have a great wintery mood but if I were forced to choose, I would say that I prefer the first beaver lodge image simply because of the simpler composition and the fact that the snow is a bit brighter and whiter.
It never occurred to me to clone the dead tree and I might have a go with it. It’s such a part of the landscape that it seems inseparable. I suspect the lodge is anchored to it in some way.
Not so fast. For me the 2nd is a clear winner as it makes a stronger statement. I think it needs more processing though. In that aspect the first is superior. The 2nd has greater emotional impact for me.
Both are fine images. I prefer the WB of the first, with the slight warm tones in the vegetation to contrast with the white snow. Compositionally, the first is more static than the second. The first has all those horizontal elements, while the second has those foreground plants “exploding” upwards. The second also is more mysterious, with the background fading into the fog. So, I’m with Igor and Mario on the second having more emotional impact.
P.S. Don’t clone out that dead tree in the first one! It makes the scene, IMO.
Both are beautiful but I think I slightly prefer the first one. The layers work really nice together. However, I like the color color balance in the second one for these cold winter scenes. I would clone out that branch sticking up on the first one.
I like them both, Kris, nice somber winter scenes. My two cents is cast for the 2nd image it does have a more dynamic foreground and could benefit from some more detail processing. I think the bland sky needs a whiter shade more in keeping with the snow.
Thanks to @Igor_Doncov, @Blake_Randall, @Bonnie_Lampley, @Mario_Cornacchione & @Stephen_Stanton - you’ve put some good suggestions forth and affirmed that the second shot has merit as well and I’m glad you inspired me to go back to it and try again. In Lightroom I changed the white balance to be less blue and added some lens correction. Then worked the tonalities in Ps using the TK8 panel to do a lot of masking and dodging and burning. Also painted clarity onto the ‘exploding’ plants. Here’s the layer stack -
I’m thinking about hiding myself somewhere and seeing if I can catch the beavers doing their beaver stuff. I can either walk in and use the blind or I can put the kayak in and see if I can be unobtrusive in my little red boat. Alas it’s snowing again today so it might not be for a while.
