Snow Scenes (not safe for Paul)

[janis]

Dave got me motivated to pull out the Aperture manuals and haul myself up the learning ladder a step or two.

These are shots I took at the lake last winter with the Canon S95. In the first one, the structure of the snow is deliberately minimal, whereas in the second, I made an effort to bring it out more.

#1
I'm thinking the left half of the frame got a little too blocked up; what do you think?


#2
I did a version of this that was a bit extreme and the light on the snow was just brilliant, meaning I loved it, but the contrast of the branches on the snow was too much I guess and the branches went all crunchy, even without sharpening. I tried a somewhat subtler approach; it doesn't have the same impact, but I learned a trick or two trying to replicate what I liked about the first version.

[jeeperman]

One look and I slipped right off the couch! lol I think you have done a nice bit of work bringing out the subtle shapes in the snow of #2. There is yet some detail hiding from you in #1. If you toned down the brightness of the forground ever so slightly it may bring some of it forward.

[janis]

Hope you didn't land too hard, Paul.

I deliberately left the snow in #1 featureless as I liked it the way it was. Are you saying it would be better with some contrast?

[jeeperman]

Not better per say....just different. I love the texture of #2 and when going back to look at #1 I missed it. I can see a few tracks just barely and it made me want for more. Had they not been there at all...I may have felt different. I will look forward to seeing what the others say. I may be on my own here.

[jeeperman]

I just had another look at #1 and ya know a crop just above the left corner tracks improves the composition for me and reduces the extra snow at the bottom. Just a thought. I like them both either way.

[janis]

Yes, I almost cloned over those tracks, but I have a weakness for "barely there" detail that the viewer may not see right away, but may be intrigued by when they do. Plus, I am fundamentally lazy. You may be right about the crop. Let's see what other opinions come in.

[chrisc]

Me thinks too much blue-bluegreen in the snow and in the treeline...soooooooooooo, me make go more away than not. Also unblocked up the foreground grasses and weeds.

[mariehass]

Janis, what do you mean by "blocked up"?

Chris, on my screen, you have lost the detail in the snow provided by Janis. While her's might be "bluer", I like her #2 better.

'Rie

[chrisc]

Must be a monitor thing as on mine, all the detail is still there, just whiter.

[jeeperman]

I agree, There is much more detail in Janis's version. The slight blue cast does not bother me as I have seen it that way in person. The shadows apear blue when le light is right.

[janis]

Chris, I really like the way you have separated out the layers of vegetation in the background. Your version may or may not be closer to the real scene, but I wasn't going so much for naturalism here as I was to emphasize the elements of the scene that made me think it worthy of taking a picture. I deliberately played up the contrast of the yellow grasses and the blue treeline, for example. I may have gone overboard, even for me; sometimes I have to let things sit for a while.

[janis]

Nov 24, 2012 10:33:23 GMT mariehass said:

Janis, what do you mean by "blocked up"?
'Rie

Hi 'Rie,

"Blocked up" refers to an area of darkness with no visible detail.

On my laptop, I can see all kinds of detail in the area at the top of the stairs and to the left, but it was harder to make out on the big display. I may have to adjust the brightness of the big display.

[georgem]

Nice work, Janis. I especially like the first one.

[janis]

Thank you, George. #1 is of the family cabin of a friend of mine. She lives several provinces away and only gets there in summer, so this is a bit of a different view for her.