Variety of snow pics..C&C please!

[PhysPhoto]

Here in NC we got around 9" of snow the day after Christmas. Here are some pics (my first time ever shooting in snow with my D40) that I'd like some advice on. Thanks!

1


2


3


4


5

 

[arcooke]

If those cars in #4 would have been completely covered in snow (as in, no color poking out), I'd say that was a killer shot. The cars are distracting. Still a great capture though.

Not fond of any of the others posted.

 

[LittleItaly]

I love number 4!

 

[PhysPhoto]

The editing program I use is Lightroom 3. Would it be possible to edit out the color with it? I tried with HSL, but I couldn't get the red completely gone.

 

[arcooke]

- Increased exposure a bit (edges came out a little blown, but that could be partly because I'm editing a jpg, not raw)
- Selected the cars, colorized and set to a bluish-gray tone and reduced saturation (Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation in Photoshop)
- Used the dodge tool on the dark areas of the cars to lighten them up a bit so they don't stand out as much.
- Forgot to clone out that brown thing (someone's head?) above the cars.

 

[PhysPhoto]

^Awesome; thanks!
I have not yet shot anything in RAW; today I will try it.


I'm debating if I should get CS5 or not...I'm a student so I can get it for <$200, but am not quite sure it's worth it to just be able to do a few things like that...

 

[arcooke]

^Awesome; thanks!
I have not yet shot anything in RAW; today I will try it.


I'm debating if I should get CS5 or not...I'm a student so I can get it for <$200, but am not quite sure it's worth it to just be able to do a few things like that...

You don't need CS5, or even CS4.. nothing wrong with some of the older versions of PS. I just found a copy of CS3 Extended (brand new) for $149 on ebay. Could probably even snag it cheaper, I didn't look around much.

It's definitely worth having around. Photoshop adds a lot of new features in each edition, but a lot of what they add is just extra fluff. All of the core features you need will go back many previous versions.

 

[guitar guy]

Nice shots. Here in the Tiwn Cities we've received 33+ inches just in December. I have to get out and shoot something, just been too busy shoveling!

 

[PhysPhoto]

Interesting. I can use CS4 virtually through my university, but that's pretty annoying having to save and resave, and move and remove everything.

If I were to get a Photoshop, I would probably go ahead and get CS5 (It's $192 on Amazon). I'm on winter break now, which is a good opportunity to try the 30-day trial. I'm downloading it now; thanks for the information.

 

[Ajlista]

I agree with everyone #4 is really nice to me, especially the edit arcooke did
A kind like #3 also, its just a little messy with my eyes, cause its hard for me to notice where it focus's
Good job, keep it up : )

 

[PhysPhoto]

Thank you.
33+" is a LOT of snow! :O

It bothers me that I keep missing the focus on shots like #3. I'm not using a tripod but am in the market for one. I used a macro lens, and it was definitely a challenge. I can't imagine shooting bugs (my goal for spring/summer!)

 

[Karri]

Hey - I am in NC too and we got close to 12 inches here so I know how rare it is for us Carolinians to get to do snow pictures this close to home. I like where you are going with the pictures although I am still trying to figure out what #3 is? I like #1 and the edit (from arcooke) on #4 makes it a stronger picture. #2 could be more dramatic if the sky was enhanced some more color. The focus seems a bit off in the last one but I like what you were trying to do with it!

 

[KenC]

I agree #4 is a great shot and the edits make it even better, although I would back off on the brightness of the edit just a bit to recapture some of the moodiness of the original.

While you're playing with PS, try solarizing the first one (Filter>Stylize>Solarize). Applying this filter makes the image very dark, so you'll probably have to use Levels or Curves afterward to brighten it up.

 

[PhysPhoto]

Thanks for the comments.
Crazy NC weather...it's supposed to be 62 this Saturday!

#3 (based on just a tiny bit of research) is a type of polypore, or shelf mushroom. [ Polypore - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ]. I didn't see a picture that really looked like it, so I may be mistaken.
#2, I agree the sky needs to stand out more. That's a job for CS5 though, not Lightroom. I'll try messing with it tomorrow.

 

[photorookie12]

Nr 1 and 4 have some interesting elements. 1 because it's almost perfectly monochrome, i.e. shades of same color (white-grey-black). However it lacks on composition.

Nr 4 has two things going for it, composition is interesting, dog leading up to the house with nice depth of field and the color contrast of brown dog on snow. Not sure the edit improves on the original, especially since you get a blue tint. Try just adjusting the white balance a couple of notches, and the photo should be "ready to go".