A Walk to the Edge of the Snow

PixelRabbit · Jan 1, 2013

What better way to start 2013 than with the first sunny day in weeks! Went for a walk and found the edge of the snow.
Would love to hear your thoughts, thanks for taking a look!

Today as I wander I stop to ponder,

As the winter looms over,

The water is alive.

There is beauty to be found at the edge of the snow.

cgipson1 · Jan 1, 2013

#3 and #4 I like.. #3 especially! Nice! Don't like all of the grey snow in #1 and #2.... yech!

p.s... clone out the black smudges on #3.. would improve it, I think!

shefjr · Jan 1, 2013

I really like number 3. It's great!

invisible · Jan 1, 2013

I agree with Charlie about 3 and 4 being the winners, in particular #3. Also agree with his suggestion to clone out the black smudges number 3 conveys "purity" but the smudges convey the exact opposite.

cgipson1 · Jan 1, 2013

I tried and edit on #2... and there is potential there for a nice shot. The large totally blown out area in the sky kills it though... couldn't even work around it.

PR... Go back and shoot it again, shot like 7 or 9 exposures (HDR) style...same time of day! That will give you something to play with. Could be pretty cool.....

PixelRabbit · Jan 1, 2013

Thanks everyone

3 and 4 are reflections in a stovepipe that is sitting outside, but since it is totally unrecognizable and there isn't enough of the pitting I think you are right, the black must go.

Charlie, for #2 I might just do that, believe it or not this was taken at high noon, I bracketed with 3 exposures and this was the middle, the lowest exposure still has a blown area. Supposed to have another day like to day next week so fingers crossed!

PixelRabbit · Jan 2, 2013

This gallery seems to be moving fast so morning coffee bump!

ceeboy14 · Jan 2, 2013

Last one for me but I found I also liked the first one though I also felt like it needed some help. I did a high key overlay so i could get the whites back, set a mask and brushed back the darks, brushed in the lights. I also did a bit of distortion control, reset the crop to a 16:9 vertical because I felt like most of the rest of the scene was superfluous. As per the distortion, I suspect you had quite a bit of lens distortion as the bench skewed down and to the right while the trees skewed up and to the left making me go instantly cross-eyed :???:.

PixelRabbit · Jan 2, 2013

Ceeboy, thank you!! The last one is my favourite, I'm glad you like it

Thanks so much for taking the time to edit the first one. I probably should have posted the first two in their own thread and critiqued them myself in the OP but being honest I can't seem to wrap my head around landscapes for some stupid reason I cheaped out here by just posting them :blushing:

I REALLY struggle with landscapes but especially shooting the river. With tree lines and shorelines let alone any additional subject, bench, bird, boater, etc... I just get lost, I can't seem to isolate the right crop like you did, they always feel either like you said, falling off the edge of the frame or one side just feels like it's floating and not deliberate.

I struggled with the exposure because the sun was so bright, you fixed it nicely! I admittedly need to improve my editing skills.

ceeboy14 · Jan 2, 2013

Thanks, glad you liked. I always find it is easier if you square up one side of your frame with a solid vertical or horizontal. that way if other changes are needed, they are generally much easier to tackle. Shooting a landscape is no different than shooting anything else..lines, shapes, forms, lighting.

Rick58 · Jan 2, 2013

Nice stuff Pixel, I liked 1, 3 and 4.
2 really didn't do much for me.
3 is very cool.
Like the others said, the snow played games with your on board meter in 1 and 2 and really tried to make the snow 18% gray, but I still liked the casual shot in No.1 after it was corrected.
For me, not every shot has to be a wall hanger. Some can just be fun to look at.