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[intoit]

another snow flake shot:-)
used a holographic gift bag for all bg's in the snow flake series
any better technically? artistically?

1/15 sec
f/7.1
ISO 400
100 with tubes stacked (12 and 20mm)

thanks in advance for the input - always appreciated:-)

[Jim Poor]

Wow, that is really neat. I can't think of an improvements that you could have done anything about.

I'd love to see the top flake stand out a little more against the others, but no idea how you could have managed that.

[Jason Ambler]

Intoit,

Great photograph of a really hard to capture subject. :) I can see that you put a lot more attention toward the details in this photograph compared to your first snowflake image. The lighting on this one is better and highlights the details of the snowflake. Maybe a tighter crop to keep more of the "cold" blues in the background and make the snowflakes pop. And if you want to make the top of the heap stick out more, as Jim suggested, maybe try blurring the other flakes and sharpening the the focal flakes.

Jason

I see Fabs point and will defer to her experience...here to learn and having fun!!

[Fabs Forns]

I like the original. The poster's style is to use (and well I should say) the exagerated negative space in the composition. The colors from the bag make the image, and if you crop them, half the charm is gone in my opinion.
Again, taste is subjective :)

[Mike Moats]

Hey Intoit, For me the subject is a very fine, detailed, tiny subject, that when put with this much negative space, it loses out. I do love the soft shading of colors that you've setup, but still think the veiwer is missing out as the fine details of the snowflakes are lost in the small size. But as Fabs points out its all subjective.

[Robert Amoruso]

I am liking this one better then the last as the OOF area is minimized and the critically sharp flake at the top grabs the eye. I think a crop is in order and I would concentrate on getting the top flake against the blue BG. I think the whole thing should be against the blue as that says winter to me.

As Mike said, this is very subjective for this type of study and I think there is no right tor wrong way and intoit did a great job creating art that we can appreciate and talk about.

[intoit]

Thanks all for the thoughtful input. Jim, I'm anxiously awaiting and hoping we get snow like this at least once more this year as you've made me think that just maybe I can move it with a frozen set of tweezers or the like - I tried with my gloved finger but it was just too big and made a mess of them all. Jason and Robert, I know what you're saying about blue and I do have some with just a blue bg - have to check if the detail's any good though but if it is I'll post one:-) I was just trying out different colours for the bg to see what they would look like but I do like the blue as well. Mike, I too wish I could fill the frame with them and I'll certainly try that for next time but as is when you stack the tubes lighting is compromised as well getting that close I'm almost afraid to breath on them LOL I'll give it a go next time though and try harder for less negative space! Again, thanks so much, you've given me a couple ideas for next time - just hope there is a next time this year!! This kind of snow is not easy to come by.

[Mike Moats]

Hey Intoit, you should be using a tripod on tiny fine subjects like this, and then the long exposures should not be a problem, I shoot many of my images at the max 30sec. and if I can't get it under 30sec. then I raise the ISO which will speed things up.

[intoit]

believe me Mike I do use a tripod for all my macros - it's not the camera shaking it's the least little disturbance in the air when one is shooting something this teeny tiny - heck I was all set and about to click on the cable release when another snow flake fell on the exact one I was focusing on and messed it up LOL - I did use ISO 400 and my rebel not very good on noise after that - I even had to run this through a noise filter - but thanks for the suggestions, if the subject wasn't so fragile it's perfect advice:-)

[Jeroen Stel]

Excellent and original photograph with detail where it counts.
I like what you did to the BG!

Well done!

Greetings,

Jeroen Stel