Frozen in Time + Crop

Gallery: LandscapePosted February 16, 2012243 views16 comments

It's been a while since I've posted. This was captured about 3 weeks ago in Yellowstone National Park. It was between 15 and 20 below zero (no wind) and by far the nicest morning I had in the park. This was taken maybe a half an hour after sunrise. The trees were actually back lit. It had snowed the day before and I am guessing there was probably between 3.5 - 5 feet of snow on the ground depending on where you walked.

I processed it with the intention to draw out as much detail as possible. I purposely choose a completely neutral tone to convey the mood I experienced during that morning.

I included a large version to show a little more detail in the frozen tree branches as everything was pretty much frosted over.

5DMk2
28-70
single exposure
F/10
no filters

Comments

16 comments

Comment posted by Navin Sarma on February 16, 2012 at 2:52 AM

michael - i really love this shot! the bright, but empty snow in the foreground is an starkly eerie. depth on L is fantastic. I also liked how some of the most prominent (maybe because they are evenly spaced?) trees are dark and full of detail. my fav shot of recent memory!

Registered on July 17, 2011, 233 Posts, 1373 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Baumbach on February 16, 2012 at 7:19 AM

Very beautiful and moody. I find the bright foreground somewhat distracting because it draws me away from those beautiful trees.

- Dan

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

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on February 16, 2012 at 9:25 AM

Michael, This is wonderful! I love looking at this and think your processing is perfect! It is hard to capture a mood any better than you did here. Fantastic work!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

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

Comment posted by Darren Huski on February 16, 2012 at 11:00 AM

Very moody

Registered on August 17, 2008, 61 Posts, 340 Comments

Comment posted by Vance Gese on February 16, 2012 at 2:24 PM

The trees with the superb tonality, lines, and the fog are extraordinary, exquisite. I could easily see cropping the foreground and allowing the trees to stand completely on their own as a pano. Just a thought. Fantastic work.

Registered on November 13, 2008, 298 Posts, 6629 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on February 16, 2012 at 2:40 PM

hmm, i have to dissent a bit here--i love the trees, but i think they could have been presented as the dominant subject here--by including the fg here (which btw--it looks like 2 inches of snow--where's the 5 ft?) it feels to me like the mood has been 'diluted' I like this better with the bottom third cropped off. It's a cool shot though!

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

Comment posted by Hamed Musharbak on February 16, 2012 at 3:51 PM

i can imagine how it will be in a large print

i like it

Registered on June 1, 2009, 372 Posts, 2282 Comments

Comment posted by David Chauvin on February 16, 2012 at 7:26 PM

Love the cold and lonely feel of this.

Registered on August 5, 2004, 1007 Posts, 5595 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on February 16, 2012 at 7:46 PM

One more for cropping the bottom some, but that does not take away from how artistic this image is. The conversion works perfectly, and the mood and light are outstanding.

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

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on February 16, 2012 at 9:03 PM

You're really good with light, Michale. This scene has a certain appeal even though it doesn't scream at me for attention. 3.5 - 5 feet of snow

Looks like most of it melted quickly.

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

Comment posted by Michael J Greene, on February 17, 2012 at 12:04 PM

Thanks everyone for your comments.
Narvin - I am glad to hear you like it as presented : )
Stan + Tony - the snow was really deep. Those reeds that you see in the foreground are very tall. I was shooting from the road was had I stepped into that scene I would have been in snow up to my thighs. The reason why I kept the foreground is the reeds look pretty cool completely frozen though it is really hard to see even in the large version. Even the snow clumps are starting to grow on me. Per the suggestion of others I have included a cropped version.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 86 Posts, 2317 Comments

Comment posted by Gary McGhee on February 17, 2012 at 4:47 PM

I like this Michael, the frigid conditions really come through. It looks quite a stark and baron landscape but beautiful all the same. I like the cropped version.

Gary.

Registered on April 15, 2010, 142 Posts, 2416 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on February 17, 2012 at 8:11 PM

Michael, It is interesting to see the crop version now too. It is nice, but it seems to lose something for me. I still like the original better. My feeling is that in a large print the original will look much better. Something about that foreground grass leading me into the scene that I really enjoy. Crop version doesn't have as good of a feel for me. Just my thoughts.

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

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

Comment posted by Stuart Williams on February 18, 2012 at 5:42 AM

michael - i like this a lot. perhaps i'd consider taking a small slice off the bottom but it is very evocative.

EDIT - i see the cropped version - perhaps a little too much cropped off ...??

Registered on December 7, 2007, 247 Posts, 4792 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on February 18, 2012 at 1:00 PM

I love the mood you've captured, especially in the cropped version. Makes me want to sneak through the forest very quietly just to see what all I could see.

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

Comment posted by Michael J Greene, on February 18, 2012 at 2:57 PM

I appreciate everyones' feedback. I like the original better myself, but maybe a little bit of a crop might work too. I appreciate the diversity of opinion here.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 86 Posts, 2317 Comments