Ice Float on the Mississippi

[Jay Sheinfield]

I took this this evening, after a run of bad luck with the swans. The entire Mississippi headlands refuge is frozen.
PP included a bit some darkening, color work and a touch of soft focus to the background for mood. I hope that's OK on this forum. If not, it's OK to move it to OOTB.........

D3s
20mm
f/13 @1/640
ISO 400

Comments welcome......

Lost some sharpness in the posting.

[Robert Amoruso]

Jay,

The BG water, silhouette and sunset look interesting. The ice with the sun coming through it look interesting. But I do not feel this combination is working at least for me. I would have preferred not to have seen the ice intersecting the silhouette in the BG. Perhaps if the ice was lower then that might have been a good FG.

I feel my preference would have been to lose the ice and concentrate on the soft look you acehived on the water, tree silhouette and clouds.

[Jay Sheinfield]

Robert,
Great feedback.........I see the intersecting elements "loud and clear". Fortunately, I have other takes without the ice................Thank you.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Jay,
I kind of like the FG ice.....but to me, it is a bit too dark.....especially at the base of the ice. I do see a shoreline there barely visible and do wonder if a crop at that point would make this stronger. I would try lightening ......just a touch.....and maybe just on the ice. The UR may then dominate the sky.....so like I said, play around and tweak this one some more because I think this has very nice potential! Do remember Robert's point on intersecting the horizon w/ FG elements.......something to always keep in mind in the field! I think some monor tweaks will make this shine!

[Jay Sheinfield]

Roman.

I'm learning...........:).here's a shot at it.

[John Storjohann]

Jay, I really like this...one of your best landscape abstracts I think...one of your best, period!

[Dave Mills]

Hi Jay, great advice given above which you acted upon.IMO the biggest drawback was the ice intersecting thre rear shoreline. You corrected that nicely which helps the image. The sky 's softness is pleasing along with a splash of color. I also like the light showing through the ice but even with the crop from the bottom I feel there is still a bit too much ice.(has a way of being too dominant) I might crop a bit more off the bottom to just above the small bright area in the left hand opening. Good wintery feel to the image...

[Jay Sheinfield]

Dave,

Last time actually I had the bigger crop, but just couldn't make up my mind.......I guess less is generally better.

Thanks for all your help. Here it is.................

[Jay Sheinfield]

Jay, I really like this...one of your best landscape abstracts I think...one of your best, period!


John,

Thanks..............nice to hear from you!

[Jay Gould]

Hi Jay from Jay,

I like the third image best; I would take the bottom up to the bend in the ice at the separation. The story here is about the amazing sky and the sunlit edge of the ice; I find the small bend distracting.

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Jay, excellent advice already given. Separating the ice from the rear shoreline was a good choice. I'd like to see the right side of the image a touch brighter - particularly the water. There is one dust bunny in the upper right area of the image. Overall, well done!

[Colin Driscoll]

Love the colors and mood in this!

[Roman Kurywczak]

Great job with the suggestions Jay!!! 3rd one for me too!

[Robert Amoruso]

Jay, I am really liking the second and third ones. Seeing the new versions it is obvious that the ice intersection was my problem and without it the image works for me.

Well done.

[Jay Sheinfield]

Robert,

Thank you..............I am very new at landscape, and yours and others feedback helped immensely. I really appreciate your follow-up thoughts on the changes.

[Jay Sheinfield]

Thanks everyone.............Love the feedback. Felt like I went through Landscape 101...:). I hope I passed!

[David Stephens]

I much prefer the third version. In the first one the FG ice is too dominant.

[Morkel Erasmus]

lovely out-of-the-box thinking here! I love the 3rd one best too...