The blizzard of 2008 #9

Tim,

Congratulations! This is a terrific shot. I like the whole composition because it's a normal scene that has been made anything but normal by the snow. As I look at it I can hear the wind howling and feel the snow pelting my face like tiny rocks. The swirl of snow you caught is amazing.

I remember that storm. We caught the tail end up here in Minnesota. I was out shooting a turbine with an umbrella to shelter my camera. Wonderful.

I am looking forward to the shots you are out taking today. I hope the city cooperates and gives you a great scene. All my best, M

Tim, also elsewhere I have admired this photo of yours filled with joyful atmosphere. I have read the remarks on the competing elements, the crane and the spots, but in some way in this photo nothing like that destroys the impression I got when I first saw it. There are photos that communicate to the viewer maybe especially because of these technical or compositional details and misgivings. Taking them away (nothing is easier) might destroy the feeling of spontaneity that charms the scene. Very well done Tim and congratulations with the POW which is very very deserved.

Tim, you should really call this "The blizzard of March 21st, 2008 #9" to distinguish it from all the other blizzards we had last winter season. :-)  Seriously, I really enjoy this photo, and your photography in general.  As with this photo, your choice of subject matter, light and composition create an image that touches a person deeper than our intellect.&

The composition,exposure and tone make this a superb winter image. The strength of the image is that the viewer can feel the severity of the blizzard. Tim's other images on blizzard are also excellent.

You really feel it. It's not a beautiful photo, it's an effective photo. Great shot.

Tim,
Congratulations.  One thing I seem to be incapable is to slice the world in a square format, and you did that beautifully.  Do you remember that you once invited me to Milwaukee?  I have decided to pass it after I saw your photo here.
Warm regards,
Toshio

The photo is a window to the past, for me, evoking the feelings of nostalgia for the place I never saw and felt. The kids are realy a light motive. Without them the photo would be insignificant.
The fog is perfect here and the church in the background is slightly visible making it more mystical and very much interested.

I love the body contortions of the two figures. The flailing arms of the one figure and the other with rounded shoulders, head hunkered down to the wind, lets me feel the wind whipping their faces and driving them backwards.
Tim has a great talent for evoking emotions with weather. His fog photos have such a distinctive signature and style that they are instantly recognizable. Although these blizzard photos undergo a different treatment and evoke a different mood they are a body of work that is equally unique and wonderful.
I find that the tree and the tower as well as the lamp post and light in the distance, all add to the photo. Giving it a sense of depth and place that makes the relationship of the figures to the scene more solid.
The photo would have been a bit more tidy if the crane was not there, however it was there and it is subdued enough by the swirling snow that it does not bother me, I actually think I would miss it. One of the appeals of Tim's work is that it has a sense of being real and part of that sense comes from his disinterest in altering scenes after the fact. Just because we can clone out every little distraction in our images with ease, it does not have to follow that we always should. The world is a cluttered place. Sometimes I find that looking through the images at PN I find it represented as a unrealistically ordered and tidy place and I find myself missing the clutter.
Nice one Tim! Keep taking those snow days off work.

Tim

Congratulations on an awesome shot! I like this very much, it’s interesting to read the other comments. I am not bothered by the crane, it actually adds in my opinion. The church in the background also adds much to this. Looking at this I can feel the cold and hear the pelting snow. The dramatic mood is one I personally would not want to be dealing with, feel sorry for the two people! Stay warm and inside

Unless I am just listing this morning after only one cup of coffee, I see the uprights as being tilted to the left as they rise. Note the slant of the church tower and the distant pole to the right of the kids. Both slant to the left. I do this same thing often and am berated for it so it has become more noticable to me.

Love the misty overall view due to the snow falling and blowing. It brings back memmories -- some good and some bad. I tend in my old age to stay inside during days like this, but still wish I had the stamina to get out there.

That scaffholding or crane or what ever it is could be cloned out or subdued more to make it less bothersome. I agree with the viewer above that suggested that there are two distinct crops which work well. One cropping the tree away and one cropping the stone tower away. Both make nice vertical pictures and both, to me improve on this already interesting photo.

You make so many nice, really brilliant photographs that I am sure the elves had some difficulty in choosing just one for us to pick apart. Congratulations for the "honor."

Willie the Cropper

Congratulations on this honor, Tim. I am glad to comment again. This image struck me because it was different; it had unusual elements in it which made it more interesting to me (the church, the crane, the whiteout). It's not the typical snow shot, but it is a typical snow shot. Got that?

Tim, Congratulations for the award. Sitting inside the room of a warm country, I shiver at the thought of being out in that blizzard. A very real picture that evokes in me an unreal feeling. The tones are excellent and the haziness is just exact. The crane continues to bother me a bit, even after all discussions. And I already know what a rich portfolio you have. It's a pleasure to browse through it once again.
A question to Bill's comment: is the left tilt due to crop or just the angle? There is another pole just on the right border at front, and it has a right tilt. Two parallel posts - one having right and the other a left tilt. Would like to learn from your opinion on this.

Jeff noticed and mentioned already the white triangle which illuminates the central scene. This triangle is a problem for the source of light is not evident.

Tim, how did you get the soft focus? Photoshop? Lens filter? Of is this an old-fashioned portrait lens?

Jayanti, I had not even noticed the right tilt on the extreme right hand post before you pointed it out. Maybe since there are both left and right tilts, that normal lens distortion is coming into play here. Still the overwhelming weight in the picture is the church tower and that causes the problem for me. I still like the idea of a cropped version pointed out above by Jeff.

Edward, I use PS Elements 2.0 (going to have to upgrade one of these days) with a Photokit Sharpener plug in. On most of my photos I bump up up contrast, crop, sometimes add a diffuse glow (like I did with this photo) and add a little saturation if it is a color image. If I convert to B&W I like to go with a platinum-sepia type mix. I go with a neutral image out of the camera so I can tweek things later. Bill, Jeff and Jayanti, I will rotate an image to try and straighten things but don't think my PS 2.0 can get things parallel. I don't spend much time working an image because I have no patience and want to move on to the next photo which I always think will be better. If I am going to print an image, I will try to clean things up a bit but I am not a technical type of guy. I shoot subjects that I find appealling because of the light and the emotional content that they may have.

A very good mood capture here Tim. It almost puts the viewer in the frame. Congrats on POW

I can't imagine what it would be like to try and do anything in weather and temperatures like this let alone stand in one spot to take several shots.
I live in Australia and most of my work is in the remote west of the country where the lowest temp is about 2 deg C and most of the time it's around 30-40+ deg. Clear, clear bright blue skies. Which also has its difficulties. Have viewed you portfolio and enjoyed.
Well done

Good sensations that moves this picture. the dream effects is great with mood that you created. adding the sensation of memories and past. You made a common shoot in a unique and genuine with this details that have your personal note. Congratulations