So I thought there would be more sun breaking through the cloud cover on the day I went out to see if I could find a pond off trail in a forest. I found the pond, but not the sun. The light stayed pretty flat, but the pond was wonderful. I’m going to check it out when the thaw comes.
This was taken during our big rime ice event here in the upper midwest. It lasted for days and I went out several times to enjoy the beauty.
Specific Feedback Requested
Understated drama - that was the look here since the light wasn’t spectacular. I did my best to emphasize the glow from behind the clouds and to pick up the green in the spruces/firs. So…is it too understated? Should I have gone back in more full sunlight?
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Panasonic DC-G9
LUMIX G VARIO 12-35mm F2.8
12.0 mm (24.0 mm in 35mm)
f/14 | 1/125 | ISO 200
Probably on a tripod, but it could be handheld since I did both at the time
Processed in Lr - basic panel adjustments for contrast and clarity and to preserve whites, lens correction. Dodging and burning for sky and trees - evening out exposure and trying to direct the eye.
The crop was to emphasize the width of the peninsula (looks like an island though, doesn’t it?) and because the immediate fg and the upper sky weren’t adding anything useful.
I do think you should go back there and reshoot but only because I do think reshoot locations is a great exercise.
The image is great to me. Even with not much light I like the tones on the tree and oddly I like those trunks on the snow, they fill nicely the negative space that snow creates.
If I could change something would be recrop from the right a bit to center the trees on the composition, and clone those odd small branches on the snow on the lower part of the image.
I don’t think its understated at all, not all images have to have drama and bold engagement, subtle scenes work great also, if not better.
It’s a great image, thanks for sharing.
I love this as is. The colors are understated but the statement is powerful. It’s a pretty artsy image. You can go back and shoot in ‘better light’ but it will be an entirely different image with it’s own positives.
My first reaction to the stumps was negative. But with time I grew to like them and realized it might be worse without them. I would play with content aware and remove selective stumps to get a stronger arrangement. I would remove the stump that are close to the island in the general center area. I haven’t tried it but my guess is that that might work.
Have you thought about trying it in black and white? I don’t see any issue with it as is, but the strong differences between dark and light may make an interesting black and white image also.
Kristen, better light is a relative thing, depending upon what you are trying to accomplish. I think this image is pretty successful in its own right. The soft, low contrast light allows you to reveal more of the subtle details, colors, and textures in this scene. This image works fine as is, it conveys a peaceful sense of winter stillness and quiet. And there is no reason not to go back in “better light”, but as @Igor_Doncov said it will be a different image with its own positives. And the stumps are a plus for me, I think they make the composition less static looking.
Thanks everyone. It’s the best of the shots I took in that area, but getting there again will not be an issue. Well when it warms up that is. 25 below zero this morning.
If I do go back it will be because I love this little spot and want to explore it with other conditions. Totally right that the images will be starting from scratch and I won’t be approaching it with a sense of ‘do over’ if you know what I mean.
I posted two reworked shots in the OP - the B&W conversion was done on the Ps file after I used the patch tool to get rid of the branches in the immediate FG and the stamp tool on the smaller ones I removed. Two just got haircuts to separate them more fully from the ‘island’.
I still like the color version better - I find the quiet color palette to be a strong element to the photo. Am neutral about the branches in the front. They didn’t disturb the composition to my eye, so their absence isn’t great either. The centered crop works, too, but I can’t tell if the impact is evident or not.
I prefer the original, more elongated aspect ratio. Removing the stump on the far right was a mistake as well. Removing the branches at the bottom was a mistake because there is too much unbroken white now at the bottom, something that became more pronounced when you cropped from the sides.
