Ice Storm Residue

It is not easy to photograph ice or hoarfrost coated trees, IMO. The impression from seeing 3D with our eyes differs from the two dimensional photo, and often it lacks interest.

You made a very good job here, the branches form a nice framing composition around the barn. Colors and tonal quality are excellent.

Cheers

Carsten

Carsten, Confession time! Of all the shots on that 120 roll of 400 UC, I had the highest expectations for this one. I was literally standing among the ice coated tree branches which, heavily laden with ice, were touching the ground in places. However, in spite of the strong sidelighting and maximum setting of the polarizing filter, I am disappointed in the lack of separation I got from the tree branches and the sky. Also, the shadow side of the barn roof almost merges with the sky, an effect I could see as I dialed in more strength of my new polarizer at the time of exposure. A keeper in any case I'll agree, but not the effect I had visualized. I've run out of fresh offerings & have had to start posting my initial rejects. Maybe it'll grow on me :-) Best, LM.

Len, no false modesty ;-) I would be glad if one of my recent winter shots came out so fine. If you have more separation of iced branches and sky in mind, I would not hesitate to realize your concept with PS. A multiply mode blended layer, masked from a color range selection, could do that.

Cheers

Carsten

Carsten, Thanks for your efforts. You have improved things with this shot quite a bit. If there's one thing I've learned from these communications it's that I must go back to my PS Tutorial and upgrade my PS skill level. It's all too easy to get to a comfortable level in PS & then just coast, ..............then comes the day of reckoning! Thanks for pointing the way. Or maybe I should just send you all my raw files for processing, you could send them back, and I would take all the credit :-) Best, LM.

Thanks for the offer. My wife says "divorce" then... Too much time I spend sitting and twiddling with PS. Moreover, I find it more rewarding now to discover the art of in-camera work than new PS tricks ;-)

Cheers

Carsten

Len, you are giving yourself too hard a time. I would be happy with this (actually anything less than 25C would work). This works for me. The FG ice is lovely and is well set off by the barn. I didn't notice any lack of separation before I read your comment.

I have never gotten a decent image in these conditions: your results are stunning.

 

Actually, I did not note at all any lack of separation with the sky. I guess that I was reading the image onto another plane, imagining the whole system of brances as a window, almost jail-like, trapping me in the cold shadow of a forest keeping me from reaching the relative repair of the sunny barn.

Jeff, Perhaps I did have unrealistic expectations. Glad you like it. Would be happy to trade you 30 days of warm weather & sandy beaches for our snow and subzero temperatures. :-)

 

Salvatore, You describe the enclosed (almost claustrophobic) feeling, when surrounded by the branches, very well. Maybe I was looking for the deep blue sky witnessed in some of your mountain shots, perhaps unrealistically, given the altitude of my location. Best, LM

 

At a closer look, the sky has the signs of a residual of fog, clearing up. Elevation of the location apart, I guess that a deep blue sky is out of question in these conditions or, at least, I never got one.

 

At a second closer look, I like the way you've blended all branches in the same focal plane, which gives this "enclosure" feeling.

Salvatore, Fog clearing up? Actually, come to think of it, it actually clouded over later in the afternoon. So the lack of the deep, rich, blue sky that I was seeking was probably already misted over with the advancing front. I never had a chance:-) Best, LM.

Lots has aready been said about this shot but I toss it out for

critique to possibly clarify the concensus of opinion on it. I

don't usually hand hold my cameras but this one gave my tripod a

hard time. The snow was just the right consistency to support my

tripod...........until just before I tripped the shutter; then it

moved! So, I figured at 1/250 sec. I'd be safe. Your opinions will

be gratefully received. Best, LM.

Hi Len, just came back from a voyage to Mali West Africa, Weather is 37C!!!,That was really hot, so your cold image is refreshing...!

 

I think all was said already, but I like it a lot. I think that the tree framing is beautiful, and your worry about the roof connected to the sky has no basis, as it is a bit darker, and the border between them is well seen.The trees color are not completely white and their brownish hue connects well with the darker barn.

 

Works well for me!. Pnina

Pnina, Thanks for wading in here & confirming what Carsten, Jeff, and Salvatore have just said. I think I'll just take this one & run. Best, LM.

Len, I found this image through Jeff and Carsten. I would agree that this is a very good image. Carsten's PS magic has made it an even better image.

looks like the barn is about to be eaten by all those branches

Sean, Thanks for the validation. We photo enthusiasts always have room for more of that. :-)

 

Bill, Good to see you're still on the prowl. Interesting observation. It does indeed look like it was taken from inside a monster's mouth (if you let your imagination run wild:-). Best, LM.

An excellent shot. The sun and shadows on the snow work perfectly, and the snow is perfectly exposed. Though I like this version, with the contrast between the blue sky and the white snow, I also wonder what a B&W would look like. The composition works well, too -- the ice on the branches caught my eye right away and created a sort of interplay with the barn beyond. At first glance, perhaps to some viewers the composition might seem too "messy" (it didn't to me). But if they spend more time with the image they should quickly see it is not: it reflects the subject just right.

Chris, Thanks for your thoughts and observations. I'll satisfy your curiosity about what it would look like in B&W with my attachment. In PS, Channel Mixer, I tried to emulate IR with the combo of R100, G100, B(-100). Does it work as well? Better? Perhaps I'll print both:-) Best, LM.

Wow...What a great shot Len! Absolutely! Love the exposure and the clarity of the image. Great Job. I have one image that I am most proud of...would love your comments...thanks.

Nice shot, the Carsten version seems more deeply in colors. Very nice done, reminds me home.

 

 

Gustavo, You lived in a barn? :-) Just kidding! Thanks for sharing your observations. Much appreciated. Best, LM.