Critique Style Requested: Initial Reaction
Please share your immediate response to the image before reading the photographer’s intent (obscured text below) or other comments. The photographer seeks a genuinely unbiased first impression.
Questions to guide your feedback
On a recent trip to Norway, we stopped to photograph some roadside icicles. On their own they were nice, but lacking a certain “something”.
Other Information
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Image Description
Not “feeling it” with just photographing the icicles on their own, I proceeded to do an in-camera multiple exposure. After processing it, I flipped the image upside down, as that added to the feel I was after.
To me, this image says winter, and at the same time, is quite soothing to me.
The image also set the tone for the trip, as I believe it never went above freezing during the two plus weeks we were there.
It was the brutal cold that made for some amazing photography.
I hope you enjoy “Winter Ghosts” as much as I have.
As a side note, I purposefully did a longer hand held exposure, as I wanted to soften the individual images just a tad.
Technical Details
In-camera multiple exposure, hand held, 0.4 sec, f/10, ISO 125, 70mm
Specific Feedback
All feedback welcomed.
2 Likes
This is absulutly stunning. The shapes, the wonderful play of tones are eye catching. They certainly don’t lack that “something” now. I do find the darkest shades in the LRC pulling my eye away out of the composition. I wonder if ligening them just a bit would help balance them with the LLC.
After reading your explaination of the process I applaud you creative eye. What a wonderful way to exemplify your trip. By the way, a Norweagen friend of mine who lives in Oslo said this winter has been exceptionally fridgid.
This is beautiful. I see the ghosts rising out of the darkness. Like Barbara, the darkness of the LRC pulls my eye a bit. Since I see them rising out of the darkness, maybe darkening the LLC would enhance that. Well, if that is what you’re looking for, anyway.
(reading your comments…) You say you find this soothing. I don’t get that feeling at all. The strong verticality and pointy-ness of the ghosts feels almost martial to me - not soothing. Just my reaction. It’s a gorgeous image and very creative!
Fascinating!! And very cool – figuratively and literally. You had a wonderful idea and pulled it off so well! For me, the dark corner works somehow, as the shapes seem to march down in that direction. It adds another element of departure from reality? (And I’m usually into balancing things, so you’re making me appreciate something a bit unusual.) No nits!
Love it as is, Fritz. The soft blue feel is exactly what I am enjoying the most, being that the temperature here in the hill country is currently 88! The darkness in the corner works for me simply because it does create movement or energy, as in “is that where they came from,” “is something else about to emerge?” Mostly I just enjoy looking at those beautiful “winter ghosts!”
Stunning image. So mysterious and compelling. I get a feeling of something spiritual, rather like a cathedral…and, yet, nothing that concrete. The darkness of the LR corner seems a little too heavy for the rest of the image. Maybe the LL corner needs to be darkened to balance it. I like the idea of the ghostly features rising out of the darkness, though.
Fritz, the rising sense of ghostly shapes works very well here. Without your explanation, I’m not sure that icicles would have come to mind and I think that’s good. I really like the sense of joyful dancing and the fact that it’s not recognizable makes it applicable to any time or place.
@Mark_Seaver @Chris_Baird @Diane_Miller @Bonnie_Lampley @linda_mellor @Barbara_Djordjevic , as always, thank you all for taking the time to comment.
It is always fascinating how one image can be viewed from different angles, evoking different emotions, most of which I went through myself while working on this image.
I did try to lighten the LLC, but went back to the original version. Yes, it draws my eye in, but for me (and that is just one opinion), my eyes don’t linger there, and soon circle around the image, creating new stories along the way.
Again, thank you all for sharing your thoughts; always truly appreciated!
1 Like
