Snowfall in the Forest

Gallery: LandscapePosted December 13, 2011136 views8 comments

I went hiking last week into a valley near my place. It was lightly snowing when I went in. I found this tree and took some shots, but they were nothing special. As it started getting dark, I passed the tree again on the way out. The snow had started falling quite heavily so I tried again and got this. The snow falling during the exposure softened the whole scene and created a nice mood, I think.

Check out the larger version.

D300s, 18-70mm at 55mm
f/9, 10 seconds, ISO 200

I'd love to hear your opinions and suggestions.

Thanks!

Comments

8 comments

Comment posted by John Williams on December 14, 2011 at 1:27 AM

The combination of the light snow and the tangled dark branches works well for me Raymond. I do like this with a bit more contrast, although not enough to kill the mood, especially in the darker tones.

Registered on September 6, 2007, 221 Posts, 5985 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on December 14, 2011 at 1:47 AM

Raymond,

Classic portrayal of order from chaos. The monochromatic color and light create a terrific mood and the structure of the main tree and it's extending branches hold the composition together quite nicely.

This may not be your vision of the image, but I think a little added contrast - or reduction in shadow values could be a viable option.
Also... there's a lone leaf near the center of the image that actually attracted my attention. this may be a stretch, but you could turn the whole thing b&w (with more contrast) and the paint back in the color original just of that tiny leaf. It may or may not have an effect, but it's those little tiny details that sometimes can make an image.

Lon

Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on December 14, 2011 at 9:46 AM

Looks quite good. I like the suggestions of adding some contrast with the darker tones, just to give it a little more pop. Not much though, as I am really enjoying the foggy look.

Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on December 14, 2011 at 11:03 AM

Excellent job at getting the subject tree to stand out from that very busy background. As posted this tells the story of walking in a snow storm very well. I do find Lon's suggestion intriguing as a way to add additional interest to an already fine photo.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on December 14, 2011 at 11:23 AM

I like this a lot Raymond. You're correct, this does have a nice mood due the the softness created by the snow. I also like the composition quite a bit.

Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments

Comment posted by Adam Gibbs on December 14, 2011 at 2:32 PM

I like the graphics in this image Raymond. I tend to agree that a tad more contrast would help define the shape of the main tree.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 168 Posts, 870 Comments

Comment posted by David Edwards on December 15, 2011 at 2:47 AM

I like the dark mood here, but I thought you could push the exposure and contrast up a notch or two as it seems a little muddy. Wonderful winter scene and love the framing of the tree.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 142 Posts, 2623 Comments

Comment posted by Raymond Klassen on December 15, 2011 at 5:34 PM

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I wanted to keep it soft, but I understand, more contrast would help.

Registered on November 30, 2008, 114 Posts, 790 Comments