Flat plateau

[aeduard]

I choose a picture to ask your opinion about from a recent, but not too fruitful trip. We visited a plateau around my home town, to take some late autumn/ early winter pictures with an extended platform and mountains in the background. Sadly the foggy weather compromised this plan. Although viewing my images at home I found this one interesting because its flatness. For my eyes the "flat" palette of grays and the low contrast accentuates the flatness of the terrain, while the path fading in the distance breaks somehow the monotony of the image.

[thierrylegros396]

I like it 

It remembers me the High Moor = "Hautes-Fagnes" in French.

A few years ago I did a lot of photos with fog and snow and I like them.

Some seems to be B/W, especially those with dark gray clouds.

Have A Nice Day.

Thierry

[Paulo Bizarro]

I like it, sort of dark and broody.

[sdwilsonsct]

Captures the edge of the day very well.

[Bob_B]

I like the palette of grays you've chosen: just the right amount to give the feeling of end of day and cold.

[francois]

A perfect evocation of winter… The tracks with wet snow, the fog and the distant trees are key elements that make me shiver.
Well done!

[aeduard]

Thank you everyone for your comments, I really appreciate it.

[luxborealis]

I think this photo has more potential than the rather accepting comments have indicated.

First of all, almost all of the snow I've ever seen (at least here in Canada, Switzerland, Austria, England, Germany, even on Kilimanjaro!) is at least 1 zone (stop) lighter than the grey shown in this photograph. I think you are doing your work a dis-service by leaving the snow at the about the same tonal value as white skin, which is about 1 zone/stop brighter than neutral grey. Typically, snow is a stop brighter than that.

Now, I understand if your intention is to convey the feeling of a grey day, you might want the snow to be dingy-grey, but I strongly believe you can still convey the feeling of the day with snow that is brighter in tone. The way it looks right now is how an averaging light meter renders snow and therefore, it looks like a metering decision rather than the photographer's decision.

Hope this makes sense.

[aeduard]

@luxborealis
I greatly appreciate your viewpoint and comments. Any constructive criticism is welcome, this is the reason I'm posting here.
I can confirm, that here in south-eastern Europe the snow has the same white color than in any other place in the world. The picture was taken 40 minutes before sunset, so lights weren't too strong. But yes the general tonal value of the snow in the original metering/picture was brighter, it was close to the snow on the road (posted picture). During post processing I dimmed the overall brightness and contrast of the scene, except the road. I processed this way to give a "guidance" to the viewer in a generally foggy, flat and dim scenery.

[Tony Jay]

I like Terry's insights a lot - as well as his deep commitment to help and guide whenever possible - and so I would second his suggestions to at least experiment to see what eventuates, however I also confess to being rather taken by the subdued tones of the posted image. It really seems to work well.

Well done!

Tony Jay