# The Kiss of Death **URL:** \ **Category:** Image Critiques\ **Tags:** editors-pick, weekly-challenge\ **Created:** [February 15, 2021, 2:54pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/the-kiss-of-death/19953 "2021-02-15T14:54:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kris\_Smith](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/kris_smith/32/59826_2.png) [@Kris\_Smith](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Kris_Smith)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 2:54pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/the-kiss-of-death/19953/1 "2021-02-15T14:54:10Z")
![The Kiss of Death](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/1/1/1133497b756e222c7022d704041ef3976742c941.jpeg) Oh how I love to photograph ice. It’s a constant in my winter photography. This is one of my earliest efforts, but even so I think it’s a weirdly compelling image. The ice formed a thin sheet above the leaf litter on the forest floor and caught a reflection of the sky. The light was coming in from the top right very gently and lit above and below. It’s an older camera and so there’s a bit more noise in this ISO setting than newer models would have. For all that it’s still a favorite. Can we have more than one entry for a weekly challenge? I didn’t see any info about that. ### Specific Feedback Requested I’m not sure anything is off except the focus could be crisper throughout the image. I should have lined the sensor up better than I did and also lowered the ISO & shutter speed, but there it is. Feel free to offer any suggestions. ### Technical Details Is this a composite: No Panasonic GH3 Lumix G Vario 35-100 f/2.8 lens @ 55mm (110mm for 35mm reference) f/4 | 1/640 sec | ISO 640 Handheld Not much processing in Lr considering. Smoothing of exposure, added texture & clarity as well as sharpening & NR. A bit of brightening in the orange and yellow channels and a shift toward a cooler blue. ###### ---
**Author:** ![Chris\_Baird](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/chris_baird/32/72124_2.png) [@Chris\_Baird](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Chris_Baird)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 4:00pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/the-kiss-of-death/19953/2 "2021-02-15T16:00:23Z")
I, for one, don’t think the noise or focus being slightly off really matters in this photo. It’s wonderful. The composition is good - placement of leaves and direction of lines. Beautiful textures. ---
**Author:** ![Vanessa\_Hill](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/vanessa_hill/32/32524_2.png) [@Vanessa\_Hill](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Vanessa_Hill)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 5:05pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/the-kiss-of-death/19953/3 "2021-02-15T17:05:42Z")
> [@Kris\_Smith](#): > > …t is. Feel free to offer any suggestions.Technical DetailsIs this a composite: NoPanasonic GH3Lumix G Vario 35-100 f/2.8 lens @ 55mm (110mm for 35mm reference)f/4 | 1/640 sec | ISO 640HandheldNot much processing in Lr considering. Smoothing of exposure, added texture & clarity as well as sharpening & NR. A bit of brightening in the orange and yellow channels and a shift toward a cooler blue. This is a really abstract looking photo! Really pretty. The leaves look like flowers and the lines from the ice leading to them look like the stems! ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_Murphy](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@Ronald\_Murphy](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Ronald_Murphy)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 5:14pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/the-kiss-of-death/19953/4 "2021-02-15T17:14:18Z")
A very engaging image! The noise is certainly not over-troubling. I got Topaz Denoise AI with one of their reduced-price offers and am quite impressed with not only its noise reduction but also its sharpening. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Seaver](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/mark_seaver/32/231_2.png) [@Mark\_Seaver](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Mark_Seaver)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 5:56pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/the-kiss-of-death/19953/5 "2021-02-15T17:56:23Z")
Kris, this looks great. There’s lots of texture in the ice, the leaves show well and the overall blue tones look good. As I tell my occasional beginners photo workshop participants, it’s not the camera that makes a quality photo, it the brain behind the camera knowing how to take advantage of the capabilities in hand. ---
**Author:** ![Kris\_Smith](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/kris_smith/32/59826_2.png) [@Kris\_Smith](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Kris_Smith)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 7:02pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/the-kiss-of-death/19953/6 "2021-02-15T19:02:13Z")
Thanks everyone. You’re right about the camera not being the biggest piece to photography. You should do a challenge showing our earliest efforts v. latest. I’ve got some doozies from the 80s. lol ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Fach](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/bill_fach/32/78290_2.png) [@Bill\_Fach](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Bill_Fach)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 7:15pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/the-kiss-of-death/19953/7 "2021-02-15T19:15:08Z")
Kristen: This is really beautiful and very well composed. Regarding your question about multiple entries, you can certainly make as many as you want so long as you don’t post more than one in a 24 hour period. Looking forward to more of your work. \>=))\> ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Freeman](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/shirley_freeman/32/11361_2.png) [@Shirley\_Freeman](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Shirley_Freeman)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 7:18pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/the-kiss-of-death/19953/8 "2021-02-15T19:18:49Z")
Kristen, this is a really enjoyable image. Love the colors and the texture in it. Very nice. ---
**Author:** ![Merle\_Cook](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/merle_cook/32/28422_2.png) [@Merle\_Cook](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Merle_Cook)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 9:22pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/the-kiss-of-death/19953/9 "2021-02-15T21:22:39Z")
Kristen, Well shot with the leaves partially out of the ice giving it a nice texture . ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Muller](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/mark_muller/32/78096_2.png) [@Mark\_Muller](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Mark_Muller)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 11:41pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/the-kiss-of-death/19953/10 "2021-02-15T23:41:49Z")
I just love the curves in this, Kristen. That’s what caught my eye first. Then the complementary colors of blue and orange/yellow. Very pretty composition as is!!! ---
**Author:** ![Kris\_Smith](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/kris_smith/32/59826_2.png) [@Kris\_Smith](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Kris_Smith)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 11:52pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/the-kiss-of-death/19953/11 "2021-02-15T23:52:19Z")
Thanks everyone. I have a similar image with just ice and it’s more surreal. I think the leaves definitely add visual interest that the other doesn’t have. Nature gives us gifts sometimes, doesn’t she? ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Alway](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/rick_alway/32/4911_2.png) [@Rick\_Alway](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Rick_Alway)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 1:48am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/the-kiss-of-death/19953/12 "2021-02-16T01:48:51Z")
First off, I commend you for seeing the “big” potential in this “small” scene. From your comments, I think the color of the ice and its reflections caught your eye. It seems also that the leaf litter also attracted you, perhaps the warm colors in it contrasted with the cool blues in the ice. There are multiple compositions or “frames” that could include all these, but I’m wondering if you specifically picked this frame. What I personally am drawn to are the “lines” (or curves). Any framing is going to cut some off at some point, but the curves in the lower right and upper left really draw my eye. I would love to see more. Did you take more than one exposure? Did you take one with a wider view and explore various crops? If you did and liked this one best, great. I just wouldn’t want you (or me) to miss out on other possibilities. ---
**Author:** ![Kris\_Smith](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/kris_smith/32/59826_2.png) [@Kris\_Smith](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Kris_Smith)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 2:13am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/the-kiss-of-death/19953/13 "2021-02-16T02:13:07Z")
Thanks for your response and questions, Rick. Weirdly I didn’t take any other shots of this exact area. I don’t know why, but I seem to remember I was frustrated and angry with my old crappy tripod and this shoot was the last straw with it. That’s probably why I didn’t do my best with this scene. I have many other ice shots from the day, but none are processed except for this one - ![Kristen_SmithNovember 30, 2013IMG_0001.DNG-16](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/9/4/9494f88a3b56757bbadc087ec0717275eb1767b6.jpeg) And none feature those leaves. Bah. Oh well. At least I got one. The attraction for me was the balance of the two leaves together, their slight frosting and the difference between the textures of the ice and the leaves. I thought the contrast was great. Plus the ice was so incredibly delicate that I was trying to convey a sense of that as well. ---
**Author:** ![karlag](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/karlag/32/40112_2.png) [@karlag](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/karlag)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 2:49am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/the-kiss-of-death/19953/14 "2021-02-16T02:49:30Z")
@Kris_Smith - I really enjoy the light and lines here. Both the more defined lines between ice “panes” and the more delicate white lines within. Having the leaves be identifiable adds and anchor or sense or reality for me. Nicely seen and it inspires me to go look for ice, although where I will find it with all this snow right now I’m not sure. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kris\_Smith](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/kris_smith/32/59826_2.png) [@Kris\_Smith](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Kris_Smith)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 1:23pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/the-kiss-of-death/19953/15 "2021-02-26T13:23:08Z")
Oh and thanks for making this an editor’s pick. 😌 ---
**Author:** ![Igor\_Doncov](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/igor_doncov/32/579_2.png) [@Igor\_Doncov](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Igor_Doncov)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2021, 7:50pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/the-kiss-of-death/19953/16 "2021-03-14T19:50:11Z")
Nice work, Kristen…