Rhythm and Sway

[janine (Janine King)]

Description: Aspen trunks and shadows on sparkling snow.

Specific Feedback Requested: This is a pretty simple edit with some tonal adjustment to whites and blacks to the original raw file.

Balance: Does this composition seem balanced to you? I have a tighter crop of this image, but I like the longer shadows, as they give the image a deeper sense of space. Now, however, I fear it may not now be balanced. Sometimes I think it is fine, and then other times I think, its too much.
Color: Is the color too flat?

Pertinent technical details or techniques:

Is this a composite? (focus stacks or exposure blends are not considered composites)
No

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@ja9erking

[Mark_Seaver]

Janine, long shadows and tree trunks are a fun (and challenging) combination. This is a very good look at that pair, enhanced nicely by the snow. I think that cropping down to remove the shadowed area and the snow edge at the top emphasizes the trunks and shadows more than this version.

[Diane_Miller]

A lovely classic composition, but @Mark_Seaver’s idea is exactly what I thought when I saw the thumbnail. I just want to enjoy the purity of the trunks and shadows. Color is fine to me, as is the balance. The shadows are strong and interesting and hold their own for visual weight to balance the trunks.

[janine (Janine King)]

Thanks Diane and Mark.
I agree. The crop really helps focus the narrative on the trees.