The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
This is a tighter, horizontal version of my previous post. I wanted to emphasize the snow pattern flowing across and down the trees.
Specific Feedback
You can get an idea of what my composition choices were from the prior post. Any suggestions for improvement are appreciated.
It was bright sunshine when I took this and the contrast was strong; I’ve tried to open up the trees a bit so some detail is present. Any suggestions on processing?
Technical Details
NIKON Z 7II
NIKKOR Z 24-200 f/4-6.3 VR at 200 mm
1/500 sec. at f/13.0 and ISO 64
Handheld
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
John, I like what you did with this one! I think the composition is great. You nailed the detail in the wind swept snow which adds a whole lot more interest for me as my eye travels through the scene. The trees look great too, well done! The only thing I might play with is bringing up the whites a bit to brighten the snow but without seeing the histogram not sure how much room you have? Otherwise you’ve got a fine image here! We’ll done!
Love this crop. And honestly, I’m undecided as to whether I’m influenced by your first post, or not. I liked the first one perhaps because of the story being told. At least for me (and I don’t know if I mentioned this or not…), but there was a sense of pending movement - ie. an avalanche in the first image. I’m probably wrong and that this is mostly about wind and conditions creating these patterns. I don’t know.
This crop works beautifully to also tell a story, but now it’s more about the trees, their survival and of course the almost extreme environment creating these patterns in the snow. There are some fine cracks scattered about that still give me a sense of a pending slide… Put all together and this is nicely balanced and impactful.
Both versions are fabulous. I can’t decide which I like better. How about the same!
I like this composition much more. The diagonals and the texture in the snow gives this energy It gives the viewer energy. Some might suggest that this be flipped because of what it implies but I usually don’t respond to that sort of thing. Good on you for shooting under high contrast conditions.
Thanks for the suggestion Keith. Atypically, I liked this one better with a frame. However, the frame acts to constrict the pupils a tad and that makes the image darker than the way I processed it. I’m adding a verion that follows your suggestion.
Another beauty, John. This scene is all about flow and movement and pending catastrophe for those poor trees. The swirls in the snow are amazing. They provide light and shadow and depth to the image while also providing movement. Everywhere I look there is movement. It looks like that little bent over tree, second from the right, is reaching across the chasm to a parent for help hoping not to get wiped out by the impending avalanche. Those two trees in the center are the main players for me. I could call this image, Convergence.
It’s funny because I was working on some snow images today and while framing them in white I noticed how dark the whites of my snow was compared to the pure white frame I was using. I get a little bit of that same feeling here with your white frames and the bluish and darker snow. I can’t see the histogram but if there is room to advance your whites even more you might think about it. Or not.
Hi John,
You certainly made it hard to pick a favorite. The landscape crop in this one seems to emphasize the diagonal lines of trees a bit more, but I love the implied motion with the wind swept patterns in the LLC of the first post. I guess I am saying that you can not go wrong with either one. Like @Diane_Miller said" an excellent twofer!"
The landscape crop in this one seems to emphasize the diagonal lines of trees a bit more, but I love the implied motion with the wind swept patterns in the LLC of the first post. I guess I am saying that you can not go wrong with either one. Like