Winter Sky + Repost

Gallery: LandscapePosted February 15, 201296 views14 comments

When unbroken snow blends with unbroken sky and the light is flat and bright, land marks get lost and all sense of direction disappears. It's disorienting and a bit unnerving. I'm always happy to see the rocks and trees that break up white empty. I think I caught some of the bleak beauty of those days in this image. Please let me know if it works and what I can do to improve it. Thanks for looking

Canon T1i
1/640sec f/9.0 100mm

(Just a note: this is not a b&w conversion)

Comments

14 comments

Comment posted by Karthick Ramachand on February 15, 2012 at 1:01 AM

Nice mood set in here, Nancy. Yes all sense of direction does disappear and your beautiful words are adding so much to this image. Personally I would have composed this by moving to the right (dont know if you had that option) so that the right foreground tree is not lost within the details of the background tree. But that's just my personal preference. I like this as-is.

Registered on December 24, 2011, 17 Posts, 59 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Baumbach on February 15, 2012 at 8:11 AM

I like the sparseness of this landscape. The color looks very neutral. I might have added a little blue to make it look cold.

- Dan

Registered on November 1, 2003, 473 Posts, 7980 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Caldwell on February 15, 2012 at 10:53 AM

I really like the idea behind your image and I love the the trees with the white "frosting." I'm kind of wishing it was horizontal with less sky and more empty white snow on either side of the trees--just thinking.

Registered on October 10, 2011, 62 Posts, 508 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Richter on February 15, 2012 at 1:10 PM

Nancy, this is a well balanced composition to my eye. Your image reflects this specific wintry atmosphere consistently to me. The one curved tree in the foreground makes for a very appealing tension within the otherwise static scene in my opinion.

Peter

Registered on November 10, 2010, 218 Posts, 2723 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on February 15, 2012 at 1:31 PM

Peeve #4 (Oct edition NPN online)--id crop the top--otherwise i really like this!

Registered on September 15, 2005, 836 Posts, 17099 Comments

Comment posted by Nancy Lea Sandy on February 15, 2012 at 3:45 PM

Ok, I removed a huge amount of sky in this repost and I will admit it has some merit. Especially since I chose to include the rocks and trees. I'm still thinking my original post does a better job of illustrating the flat, blank world of certain overcast days, when the horizon line is lost to an endless bright white......hmmmm (ok, now I'm looking for a new composition of this condition) As for this one, maybe a little off the top, huh?

Registered on January 24, 2011, 576 Posts, 6942 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Richter on February 15, 2012 at 4:43 PM

Nancy, your original uncropped version works much better for me. It shows me the vastness of this scene and makes for a feel of lonesomeness, which is consistent with the atmosphere in my opinion.

Peter

Registered on November 10, 2010, 218 Posts, 2723 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on February 15, 2012 at 10:04 PM

Nancy Lea,

As much as I like the simplicity of your original and how you pulled off the "blend with the unbroken sky," I think the repost is even better! You didn't mention much more than the crop, but clearly it's also brighter and the snow more white, which I think is also an improvement. I love the scene and think you captured and crafted your vision beautifully in the repost. Well done!

Lon

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

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on February 15, 2012 at 10:30 PM

I really like the monochromatic nature of this picture and I do think you've done a good job of showing "near white-out" conditions. I also think the repost with less sky tells the same story in a stronger composition. I love those snow/frost covered trees and how they "walk" up the ridge.

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

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on February 15, 2012 at 10:43 PM

Great sky, Nancy. I was going to suggest a crop and like what you did.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on February 15, 2012 at 11:58 PM

You conveyed your intended mood quite well here. I like both, but the repost slightly more.

Registered on May 7, 2007, 670 Posts, 19650 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on February 16, 2012 at 2:50 PM

FWIW--i think the repost is a huge improvement, both compositionally (it shows the 'vastness' without getting boring) and processing wise (the whiter snow is better). just my take.

Registered on September 15, 2005, 836 Posts, 17099 Comments

Comment posted by Florian Aubin on February 16, 2012 at 3:37 PM

very nice cold atmosphere and compo here, well done.

Registered on April 8, 2011, 8 Posts, 100 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on February 16, 2012 at 5:25 PM

Nancy, The repost looks great...a big improvement imo. I like the brighter snow too. I think with this repost you have turned this in to a really nice image!! My feelings anyways.

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments