The Fortitudes (Streaks)

Same as with the other photo: perfect pattern and perspective.

Excellent use of the monochrome medium that will withstand the test of time. I guess that means I can't suggest any improvment.

Doug - I love this one!

Michael

Excellent B & W! Congrats Doug.

Wonderful Doug. I know most of your photos are square, but this one I think I would like to see in portrait mode. Just my preference.

Still, wonderful to look at. 7/7

 

Elizabeth

Very artistic shot, great tones, great depth, just superb.

 

Alethea

Hi Doug, can you comment on the "printing" of this picture? I am especially interested in the contrast among the tree trunks, i.e., black in the foreground and fading in to grey as we look farther into the scene. I think I agree with the previous poster about the format. I am a fan of the square format, but not here perhaps (?).

Just wonderful. Great work.

ES Miller, I've been facing this negative in portrait mode for many years. I'm usually faced with two forces when looking at these old negatives: The force of inertia, which wants me to leave everything the same as it's been, i.e., in this case, vertical, and 2, the force of image quality which wants me to use as much of the negative as possible to obtain the largest image. I might be wrong mathematically, but my impression is that when making this crop I am using less negative. Such forces take considerable effort for me to surmount. I posted this same shot, vertically cropped, on photopoints (where you can see a couple of branches were also removed) Emil Shildt observed the obvious, that the bottom was too cluttered and was pulling away from the graphic power of the trunks. I re-re-re-evaluated the image and came to an agreement with his observation. My problem is that in a year or two I might be back with the vertical, but less with the clutter. I can't help myself in this respect.

 

Marcelo, In scrinting this image I had as a goal to make the foreground trunks as dark as possible, even pure black, and allow all other tones to follow backwards along the scale towards white. I didn't care whether or not the image actually had any "white" pixels. The mind will see the snow as white anyway, provided it's not too dark. So, I adjusted the curves/levels for the max black, then adjustedm them again for the gray values. Some burning was used to bring the foreground snow values to a visible shade of light gray. Of course, with fog, this is pretty much what the eye sees, or thinks it sees: Normal contrast values up close, reduced contrast in the distance.

 

Attached is the full frame as scanned in March 2003.

 

I thought I looked at this fairly recently but judging from the stuff that comes after it, I've been away for a while. Well way back when then I downloaded your shot because I was interested in the notion this could be improved by going for a portrait framework whereas pretty soon after looking at this shot I was salivating at the thought of it as a pano. Here's the pano version I knocked out. I want to spread the streaks not confine them.

 

I think this is a stunning landscape. I love the degradation in tone revealed by aerial perspective. I promise you so long as I have some snow this winter I shall be crawling through the woods and the forests in search of one of these I can call my own.

 

Now I must go look at some new stuff.

Phil, that's an excellent adaptation. I suppose that makes 101 ways to crop this neg?

Hey Doug, is it true...are you really an alien?? and how'd phil do that...scarry woods that way. I like the way inertia keeps things true but in the case of this shot your additional work pays off. I love the way they're dance'n al over the place. I think the blackening of the dark foreground trunks really give this shot depth and accentuates the fog in the background. And the square rules here. Fine work for a space man...

Brad

Thanks Brad. When my people take over this sad planet, I will make sure they spare you and your kin.

 

Yes, Phil is capable of many strange and marvelous things. He is a force to be reckoned with.

Beautifully done. 7/7...everything is perfect.

I could have sworn I commented on this Doug. Oh well... This is probably my favorite of yours. It reminds me of a photography by Neill in a very loose way.

 

The subtle fall off of gradation is just wonderful. Just a great image and one I would love to hang on my wall. Dave

You probably did, Dave. I may have had other versions posted, and I did in fact have two versions posted on photopoints, which I think you commented on. I deleted all my work on photopoints as my subscription had expired. And, you can own this on your wall. It's being made into a poster.

wanderful, to remain speachless!!

bravo!

 

marco