Winter's Peace

Nice understated scene and really like the warm and cool tones. I might back off the cyan just a little, but that is personal preference and works nicely as presented. The chaos in the woods works quite well as a good backdrop. Nice!!

It does look like a lovely quiet late afternoon/evening, Ryan.  I just did a "dusk sit" today and it was great.  The reflected blue/cyan still seems strong, but a lot of that is how Adobe products add saturation as the brightness is reduced.  The gentle contrast in the trees and the warm glow of the grasses looks perfect.

Ryan,

I think Harley nailed it with the "understated" comment.  Subtle and understated at first glance, but a real treat and lots to explore in the large view. Especially the barren, winter forest.  For a static photograph, I see depth in those trees, like I'm looking deep in to the woods.  The colors are subtle and understated as well, but lovely.  I think the timing and time of day of this capture really, really mattered with this.

The row of tule/cattail and brush add a nice layer separating (or connecting) the water and ice with the forest.

As far as the cyan goes, I always struggle with this - and I can count on Mr. H. to keep me honest.  I often find myself completely desaturating blue and/or cyan in <some> images. However, I remind myself that these colors ARE out there and I make an effort to see and identify them when I'm out shooting.  I think you've struck a nice balance. Often, rather than making global adjustments, I'll "paint" in areas that I think could be pulled back.  In this case, I think the narrow strip just on the top side of the open water, could be pulled back; but I wouldn't do it globally because you'd lose the cool tones in the rest of the river.  Just a thought.

The other thought/suggestion I have would be a slight crop off the bottom.  Just enough to remove a few of the white/snow on the surface. Don't want to crop too much as the ice/water is key to the image, but the crop would make for a slightly narrower view; as an alternate.

Lot's to enjoy with this one. Kudos for recognizing the potential here.

Lon

Nice image, Ryan.  I like the grasses, shrubs, and dense forest backing up the melting ice of the foreground.  It is very peaceful.  The blue is strong, but maybe it should be.  If that's what struck you, you should portray it that way.  I like it.

Well seen and captured, Ryan. Winter in the midwest during snowless times provides some unique opportunites to see the landscape in a different way. In this view, I like the intricate pattern in the intertwined tree branches, something that can't be seen in other seasons. The blue in the ice contrasts nicely with the browns and looks good to me.

I really like the subtle light and the warm/cool contrast. In the large version, the depth in the image really shines, especially in the forest, as Lon mentioned..

I do agree with Harley in that the cyan could be brought down a little. This minor, but I see a bit of CCW tilt of the shoreline. This is fine winter image with a great mood.
--P

The blues/cyan do not bother me at all, I think they contrast very nicely with the trees. It could be North Georgia, except for the ice....

Ryan, You did a super job seeing the potential within this image. You captured it with perfect timing as this light really makes it work. The quiet and peaceful mood is just wonderful and this is very enjoyable to view. The forest behind has such wonderful depth and fine detail in the branches that makes one want to explore even more. I often see the cyan like this on ice around here when the light is right...and that is usually in the evening it seems, but sometimes very early too. I like this a lot!! Nice job. 

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI.

Lovely.  I think the blue/cyan is just fine.  Yes, it catches your eye, but it does just fine in the big image.  I really like the DOF you got here, and all the detail in those tree branches.  Definitely conveys a feeling of peace.