Here's another image that I took recently of a leaf in the snow. I'm finding that snow makes an excellent BG because it's so minimalist and focuses all your attention on the subject. Thanks for looking and any and all comments would be most appreciated!
Olympus SP-550 UZ
f4.1 @ 1/125, ISO 100, +0.3 EV
Aperture priority mode, pattern metering
Processed in PS CS2; cropped a bit, curves and levels, channel mixer, converted to tritone, applied an orton effect, added a vignette, and lightened the URC a little
Christopher, Simple and very dimensional. I like the snow BG also,might tone down just a few of the tiny brighter spots. Nice shadowing. The comp. is nice on the diagonal. I'd love to see an off beat comp. from you:D;). Nicely done and once again another great series!
Chris, these are all very nice images and I like the soft texture of this one very much - but don't forget as you're shooting these to get down on the ground at eye level, get up in a tree, throw on the wide angle, and have some fun experimenting! You have obviously become proficient at toning these images - I'd say you're one of the best here - now no resting on your laurels...take what you've learned and find something you're passionate about and bring that passion into your images - along with your wonderful skills for desaturation and toning. AND THEN GO HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! :D:):D
Christopher, I'm not sure I will be able to express this properly but I will try. I think this image is fine technically. Maybe the snow could be a little whiter. I like the grayish vignetting in the corners but as we move in toward the leaf, maybe the snow could be whiter. But technically, that's it. Nice image.
I was careful to use the work "think" above rather than the word "feel". Feeling is was I feel is missing here. This is a very cold image... not just in the sense of "well, duh, its snow, it's supposed to be cold." But it leaves me feeling cold looking at it. It seems to just "be" and to lack any emotional involvement. It took me a while to come to this realization. I felt the same way about most of your acorn series. I can't pinpoint why I feel that way. Is the very monochrome nature that causes that feeling or lack thereof? I don't know.
Maybe its as Denise said. We need to see an offbeat composition. Or as Julie said experiment and bring passion into the images. Again, technically they are fine. No problems to speak of. This image and others need, in my humble opinion, to be infused with some warmth and feeling.
I will end with this note. Warmth and feeling may actually be the antithesis of what you are trying to capture and communicate. Your "thing" may be to capture the coldness, the lack of emotion, in nature. Maybe that is what has drawn you to monochrome effect. And if it is, that's fine. And your body of work supports your creative goal. And you can ignore everything I've just said! :)
Thanks Ed for your thoughts. It really made me think about the why behind my photos, particular my monochrome photos. I think I'd have to say that what draws me to old leaves, acorns, and such is the character that I see in their worn appearance and interesting textures and patterns. And to be perfectly honest, I think I have to agree with you that some of my images fail to convey that feeling.
Thanks again, I feel this critical analysis has been a good thing and can only help my photography to improve. :)
Christopher, I love the details in this image, and whilst I hear what the others are saying, I think that there is much to enjoy here. I do feel that it conveys a stark loneliness and also a certain menace - it has a feeling of 'film noir' about it somehow.
I guess that we all see something different!
Best regards,
Nicki
Leaf on Snow
