This is from a recent; not very productive; day trip that Mike and I took to Blackwater Falls SP, WV. We had timed it for some recent snowfall and in that regard we hit the jackpot as the trees were beautifully laden with a coating of snow. We had decided to spend a few hours at Blackwater, then head over to Douglas Falls which is about ten minutes away. Little did I know that that was going to be a colossal mistake.
I incorrectly assumed that the gravel road would be plowed. Not a big deal I thought as we were in my four wheel drive GMC. As we drove further down the road it became a big deal as the snow got deeper and deeper. By then we were committed as you have to get down to the parking area to turn around. We had to shovel a couple of times, but we did get turned around and decided to head back out rather than shoot the falls.
Well coming back out the truck slide partway over the bank of the river and we were stuck and had to make a call to get us pulled out as I did not want to chance going any further over the bank. By the time we got out it was time to call it a day and head home. Fortunately we did get a couple of keepers and the car insurance policy is going to reimburse me for the tow.
Anyway, this image is looking a little downslope toward the other wall of Blackwater Canyon. The 80-200 really compressed the scene as the other side of the canyon is further away than it appears here. As always thanks for taking a moment to leave a thought.
Specific Feedback Requested
All C&C welcome
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Nikon D800, Nikon 80-200 @ 105mm, f 16 @ 1/50 sec, ISO 200, cable release & tripod
Ed,
Your trip to the falls sounds like quite an adventure.
The image you posted is a nice consolation though, beautiful snow conditions. I love the two distinct tones of snow and the depth that creates. The WB looks really good to me and the composition of the near and far layers works really well. No nits.
Sounds like not going over the bank and down made the day a success compared to the alternative. The two tones really nicely layer this one and give it excellent depth. It definitely needs to be viewed large to be appreciated, too. Real nice one from that sketchy day.
Well that sounds like it was more of an adventure than you bargained for. It’s interesting to compare your choice of composition for this scene vs. what your brother Mike showed in his post. It’s not often that we get to see the bigger picture to know what choices you each faced and then decided upon. I like the more open feeling of your shot, I think it works better as a horizontal, it just has a more expansive feeling. My only suggestion would be to add some vignetting or edge burning along the bottom, to make the tops of the trees brighter than than their bases, thus drawing more attention to the center.
No nits from me, Ed. The larger image really brings this to life. The snow covered branches really stand out against the gray BG. Composition is excellent with just the right amount of BG vs FG.
Hi Ed, this is really beautiful! I love how the tree branches are etched out in the snow perfectly surrounding them. Not only did you get a great photo but you have an exciting tale to tell behind it! Sounds like you could use some snow tires. Four wheel drive can actually be a liability in conditions like that. But with proper snow tires you can pretty much get anywhere as long as you know how to navigate the snow! Sorry, I’m a service advisor, it’s just natural for me to give car advice!
The two tones really nicely layer this one and give it excellent depth. It definitely needs to be viewed large to be appreciated, too. Real nice one from that sketchy day.