Winter Tree

We had our first fog of the winter season shortly after a snowfall, which for me is a perfect combination. I'm looking for compositions that I find aesthetically pleasing and that embody a sense of the place. I frequently like to find nearby objects that are not as affected by the fog relative to objects in the background -- I just like that look. Simple beauty in austere places has a special appeal to me. I took several photos on this particular day.

Another composition of a favorite subject. I'm using a new lens: Zeiss ZE

50mm makro. I really like the 50mm focal length, and the detail captured

by this lens is stunning. Even though this composition cut the crown of

the foreground tree, it did so in a manner that still kept its appeal for me

(aided by the small tree in the background). Your comments and

suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Steve, the tree is a beautiful subject. it has a wonderful sinuousness to it and the muted colour is a knockout. I can look at images like this all day.

Thanks for the comment, Jeff.  I felt exactly the same way, which is why I stopped to get the photo.  I think this is one that really needs to be seen quite large, because the detail of color and frost on the leaves is exquisite.

Out of all the "winter trees" in the portfolio, this one is my favorite. I just love the way this foreground tree fills up the frame, and the fact that it is the only dark subject in the image. It presents it as very solitary, conveying that feeling of deafening quiet that I associate with fresh snowfall.

John, thanks for the comment.  I like that "deafening quiet" description you give to snowfall, and that's one of the reasons why I like to be in rural places during the winter.  I've also experienced "deafening quiet" while floating down the Wild & Scenic portion of the Missouri River in central Montana; when the wind is to the back and matching the speed of the current, there is simply no sound whatsoever except for occasional meadowlarks on the hillsides or cooing of morning doves in the trees -- an exquisite experience.

Excellent picture Stephen.  Images like this one make me wish that it snowed more often here in the south, even though I'm not really made to handle cold temps very well.  I'm wondering if a lower angle of view might have added to this image by making the distant trees a bit more visible underneath the lower limbs and maybe adding a bit of depth to the image.  Just a thought.  Excellent capture as is.

Ha! You decided to stick. I'm glad.

 

I love the muted silence of the tones.

 

I'm also very interested in your experience with the Zeiss 50/2 MP. It's pretty high on my wish list but I've never even held it in my hands. The closest that I came was test shooting the 50/1.4 and the 21/2.8 ZE. I loved the 21 but the 50/1.4 didn't do it for me.

 

Back to this picture; I'd have loved the smaller tree having a bigger role. Maybe a reshoot a few steps to the right and forward?

 

All the best, Matthijs.

I love the role of the little tree.  It's there to fill the empty space and create a balance, yet it doesn't take anything away from the 'star' of the image.  I love this graceful tree.  It's a beautiful specimen, and I like that there isn't too much snow on the limbs so you can see the foliage and 'skeleton' of the tree. 

And I'll second that comment about 'glad you're sticking around'.  :-)  And even though you got rid of most of your images, in a way maybe that was a good exercise??  I know I need to pare my portfolio way back and get rid of things I took a long time ago, but I never seem to get around to it.  By deleting your images, you could be really discriminating about what you loaded back on.  Although I've never seen a bad image from you yet! 

Happy holidays to you!

Nice work Stephen, nice mood as well, can feel the silence of the snow and fog there, congrats. Nima

Thanks again for the comments.  When I was framing this, I knew that little tree in the background would be important, so I framed it the best I could (I even did some zooming with my feet on this one, although I was restricted to a path and couldn't move much to the right or left).  With a vertical shot, that didn't leave much span across the bottom.  I didn't think about getting down on my knees for a lower angle -- I should have checked that out.  Two problems with that though:  I was wearing jeans, and I sometimes have a heck of a time getting back up if I'm crouched for any length of time.

Matthijs, the Zeiss 50mm f/2 makro is very similar to the Zeiss 21mm, just a bit shorter and with a smaller front diameter (takes a 67mm filter instead of an 82mm filter on the wide lens).  I chose the f/2 makro based primarily on the user reviews, and I was willing to spend the extra money for the sharpness across the width of the lens at all f-stops that has been reported by users.  I'm very happy with it.

Christal, the foliage on this tree was exquisite.  That's actually frost and not snow.  There is still a bit of reddish color in the leaves, and the edges were all trimmed with heavy frost.  It was too difficult to try any macro shots, but these leaves would have been a great subject.

 

nice very nice

Thanks!

 

I might start saving for it...

 

Happy holidays,

 

Matthijs.

Very impressive.  The shart details in the front tree and the back ground trees in misty or fog.  Very good composition.  Simple and clean.  Best regards,