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Dragon Under Ice

Gallery: Weekly ChallengePosted March 24, 2013197 views11 comments

Since I've spent much of this winter exploring what I've taken to calling icestracts in my backyard ponds, it seems like this week's challenge was directed at me. It also feels right in that although spring is supposed to be here, we've had below freezing temps since late last week and snow is predicted for tonight/tomorrow. This is a view taken yesterday through the ice of a hardy lily leaf that was trying to grow a week ago. The main feature feels to me like a dragonfly attempting to break free but I see other "creatures" in the ice structures and I'm sure you can find many of your own. This is a stack of 8 images to get top to bottom sharpness. (5D3, 100mm macro L, 0.4s, f/14, iso 200, tripod, cable release, mirror lockup and polarizer)

Comments

11 comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on March 24, 2013 at 1:02 PM

Neat abstract, Mark. I like the diagonal comp and the way attention is focused on the subject via leading lines and color. I also like how it gives the imagination free rein to imagine all sorts of critters under the ice.

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Fach on March 24, 2013 at 2:33 PM

Mark: Well seen and really well captured. Good photography.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1805 Posts, 26981 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on March 24, 2013 at 3:57 PM

Very nice abstract.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by scott lanz on March 24, 2013 at 6:08 PM

I don't really see the dragon, Mark, but I like the image because of the interesting colors and textures. Another fine ice abstract.

Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on March 24, 2013 at 6:24 PM

Mark, Wow! This is wonderful. The colors and textures in this are fantastic. Your large version is really interesting to look at. Very nice work!!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

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

Comment posted by Kate Silvia on March 25, 2013 at 10:57 AM

Great colors and texture Mark!

Registered on January 12, 2009, 56 Posts, 158 Comments

Comment posted by Carolyn Derstine on March 25, 2013 at 1:22 PM

Yes, Mark, your "icestracts" work perfectly for this theme.

The wonderful variety of colors, textures, and shapes, invite one to linger and explore this image. I also noticed the dragonfly or some such creature looking like it is trying to crawl free from the ice before even reading your description!

Registered on February 16, 2011, 610 Posts, 3684 Comments

Comment posted by John Clulow on March 25, 2013 at 2:43 PM

Definitely a blue duck head in the upper right looking toward the camera with its yellow body submersed and left duck webbed foot extended (it's left, our right); a silly yellow rabbit wearing a monacle over on its right eye; and a charicature of singer-song writer Paul Williams wearing a captains hat in approximately the lower left rule-of-thirds junction. And a bluish Fred Flintstone-like face over on the lower third on the right. (I know what you're thinking, "Funny; he don't look bluish..."

Registered on November 1, 2012, 155 Posts, 1079 Comments

Comment posted by Gary McGhee on March 25, 2013 at 5:11 PM

I can see the dragonfly Mark, well cool. I think you could lift the saturation in this a tad more too. Very nice.

Gary.

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

Comment posted by RL Potts on March 26, 2013 at 12:23 AM

Yeah, there is a dragon fly, or if you look a different way, Darth Vader holding a fish. You have reminded us again as in a previous challenge, what a great macro subject that ice is. All of the layers of color and transparency are pretty magical.

Registered on November 24, 2003, 188 Posts, 985 Comments

Comment posted by Ed Williams on March 26, 2013 at 1:50 AM

I love the color palette of this Mark. It looks like a piece of modern abstract art. Nice warm colors contrasted with the darker moodier colors. Very interesting and artistic. I can almost see an alligator's snout in there somewhere too. . .

Registered on December 28, 2010, 636 Posts, 3499 Comments