Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: NeilOwen on June 17, 2010, 01:56:08 pm

Title: Isolated Frost
Post by: NeilOwen on June 17, 2010, 01:56:08 pm

Hi All,

First posting to this site (so please be gentle!). Interested to get some honest comments on all sorts of images from a recent Yellowstone Workshop during the Winter. This is an example of an early morning heavy frost in the Madison Valley. Comments most welcome.

[attachment=22650:_DSC2567_mod_lr.JPG]

Thanks and regards, Neil.

Title: Isolated Frost
Post by: popnfresh on June 17, 2010, 03:53:59 pm

I think the frosted branch makes for an interesting subject and I think you were correct in using a wide aperture to blur the background. For me, the branch and tree trunk on the left detract from the composition. I'd crop out those out.

Also, I think the subject lends itself to black & white quite nicely. I took the liberty of converting it in Photoshop with an infrared filter, followed by 5% of Cooling Filter (LBB) and some minor tweaking of the curves and white and black points.

[attachment=22655:frost_mono.jpg]

Title: Isolated Frost
Post by: NeilOwen on June 17, 2010, 04:49:23 pm

@popnfresh,

Thanks for the comments and the B&W conversion; I think the crop/mod you made here does bring out a stronger image and I agree that with some of the subjects I have B&W will be the way to go. The only problem I have at the moment is I have so many images still yet to process! I will share some further images in due course but I wanted to post this as a 'starter' image on this community.

Again, thanks for the kind words and I look forward to further postings!

Kind regards, Neil.

Title: Isolated Frost
Post by: wolfnowl on June 17, 2010, 04:52:59 pm

Quote from: popnfresh

I think the frosted branch makes for an interesting subject and I think you were correct in using a wide aperture to blur the background. For me, the branch and tree trunk on the left detract from the composition. I'd crop out those out.

Also, I think the subject lends itself to black & white quite nicely. I took the liberty of converting it in Photoshop with an infrared filter, followed by 5% of Cooling Filter (LBB) and some minor tweaking of the curves and white and black points.

[attachment=22655:frost_mono.jpg]

I agree with the crop, and it looks great in B&W.  You do lose the subtle colours of the early morning sun on the frost, though.  I think it could be worked well in colour, but I'd probably darken/desaturate the background more.

Mike.

P.S.  Welcome to the list, Neil!