Ice Fog

Gallery: LandscapePosted October 20, 2009354 views38 comments

I was fortunate enough this past weekend to get the opportunity to spend a couple days in the higher mountains of West Virginia in search of autumn foliage, but what i found instead was an early winter. As a dense, icy, fog rolled in this stand of trees caught my eye. Image was made on Middle Mountain in the Monongahela National Forest, Randolph County, WV.

I've added a significant amount of global contrast to this image to try to bring out the lines a bit more boldly, but I'm hesitant to go too far away from the low contrast reality of the scene. More contrast? Less? The image as presented is in full color and no sharpening has been applied.

Comments/impressions/suggestions are all appreciated!

Olympus E-510, f11, 1/15 sec, 78 mm (Equiv)

Comments

38 comments

Comment posted by Jeremy Kessler on October 20, 2009 at 9:55 PM

Love it as is!

Registered on September 13, 2007, 36 Posts, 1283 Comments

Comment posted by Mitch Moraski on October 20, 2009 at 9:55 PM

Awesome Michael!

Registered on August 3, 2008, 105 Posts, 590 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on October 20, 2009 at 10:02 PM

Beautiful image as is Michael!

Registered on January 4, 2009, 1015 Posts, 13229 Comments

Comment posted by Chris Chamberlain on October 20, 2009 at 10:03 PM

Incredible image! I like it a lot the way it is. I do find myself looking for a little more contrast. But in these conditions, it might not have been there?

Chris

Registered on March 13, 2007, 500 Posts, 8365 Comments

Comment posted by CAZ on October 20, 2009 at 10:06 PM

It's perfect as it is! I got the shivers just looking at this scene!

Registered on October 2, 2004, 9 Posts, 57 Comments

Comment posted by Aaron Ellingsen on October 20, 2009 at 10:09 PM

I think the contrast is perfect as it is right now, although I'd like to see it just a bit brighter. If you can push the snow closer to a true white without boosting contrast and losing the feeling that you have here, I think you'd be making a strong image even better.

Registered on January 16, 2008, 56 Posts, 953 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Budliger on October 20, 2009 at 10:13 PM

Perfect contrast and great image!

Registered on June 11, 2006, 113 Posts, 2116 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on October 20, 2009 at 10:32 PM

This is a beauty!! Love the fog and the mood it creates. Great stuff.

Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments

Comment posted by Michael R Reynolds on October 20, 2009 at 10:36 PM

Michael, I really like the subtle tones you've got in this shot. The vertical lines work well. Best Regards.

Registered on February 26, 2008, 54 Posts, 812 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Dayton on October 20, 2009 at 10:40 PM

You made the most of a change in weather, Michael. I like it.

Registered on November 11, 2008, 281 Posts, 3958 Comments

Comment posted by Rudy Ruberti on October 20, 2009 at 10:48 PM

Cool! The trees in the background appear ghostly. Very well done.

Registered on October 28, 2008, 179 Posts, 1875 Comments

Comment posted by Hamed Musharbak on October 20, 2009 at 11:20 PM

very beautiful & amazing

i think it need more sharpness

well done

Hamed

Registered on June 1, 2009, 372 Posts, 2282 Comments

Comment posted by Pramod Viswanath on October 21, 2009 at 12:08 AM

Stunning image Michael! Looks almost like a pencil art. Superb ambiance in the frame.

cheers.

Registered on December 4, 2008, 60 Posts, 697 Comments

Comment posted by Reno DiTullio on October 21, 2009 at 12:33 AM

Cool pic and great mood, Michael, I like it the way it is

Registered on November 14, 2003, 130 Posts, 1644 Comments

Comment posted by Dean Sauskojus on October 21, 2009 at 12:49 AM

Very nice. I love the whiteness of the image and the vertical trunks of the trees. Nice work.

Registered on September 29, 2009, 137 Posts, 2659 Comments

Comment posted by Vance Gese on October 21, 2009 at 1:16 AM

Fantastic Michael. Would not touch the contrast on this at all. Superb work as presented. The large image is a real treat.

Registered on November 13, 2008, 298 Posts, 6629 Comments

Comment posted by Ned Fenimore on October 21, 2009 at 1:22 AM

This is really nice, Michael.. love the starkness..

Registered on November 1, 2003, 467 Posts, 2803 Comments

Comment posted by Jimmy Gekas on October 21, 2009 at 2:06 AM

Very, very nice! The fog is awesome and the mysterious mood that goes with it.

Registered on July 26, 2007, 244 Posts, 2807 Comments

Comment posted by John&Patty Benway on October 21, 2009 at 5:35 AM

I'd say beautiful as posted. Excellent work Michael.
John

Registered on May 12, 2006, 626 Posts, 8700 Comments

Comment posted by Carrie O'Brien-Sib on October 21, 2009 at 6:44 AM

Fantastic image! Love the softness of it.
COS

Registered on August 4, 2009, 149 Posts, 889 Comments

Comment posted by Kevin Trinkner on October 21, 2009 at 7:51 AM

Beautiful!! fog, snow, barren trunks, my kind of stuff. Well done.

Registered on June 30, 2008, 203 Posts, 2641 Comments

Comment posted by Drew Fulton on October 21, 2009 at 8:16 AM

Michael,

It's a beautiful scene and I think you have treated it well. I like the amount of definition you have create through the contrast but I don't see a need to bring it up anymore. It's there and you can still get a layered effect in the fog and you keep to the subtlety of the scene. Beautiful.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 43 Posts, 357 Comments

Comment posted by John Williams on October 21, 2009 at 8:35 AM

Oh man, how nice is this!! I love the snow on the trunks. My personal taste would be to sharpen just a little, not enough to clear the fog though. I agree with your decision to not go farther with the global contrast, the flatness of the image is what vital here. In fact, I'd probably darken that bright area along the top edge just a little.

Registered on September 6, 2007, 221 Posts, 5985 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Lilly on October 21, 2009 at 9:08 AM

Thank you all for your well considered comments. I appreciate the input and am anxious to give some of your suggestions a try.

Registered on May 27, 2004, 28 Posts, 289 Comments

Comment posted by Cory Freeman on October 21, 2009 at 9:15 AM

this is awesome! love the low contrast mood.

Registered on December 16, 2003, 107 Posts, 1341 Comments

Comment posted by Kent Mearig on October 21, 2009 at 11:55 AM

The natural monochrome gives this a wonderful simplicity. Yet, there are plenty of exquisite details to get lost in. Very nice.

Registered on September 4, 2006, 237 Posts, 4748 Comments

Comment posted by Laurent Baig on October 21, 2009 at 12:45 PM

OOh, this is just gorgeous!

Registered on January 12, 2005, 206 Posts, 6784 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on October 21, 2009 at 12:55 PM

I love the graphic appeal this has. Oustanding work Michael.

Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments

Comment posted by Dorin Bofan on October 21, 2009 at 4:38 PM

I really like the abstract quality of the scene and how the trees are fading into the mist. An excellent image, Michael!

Registered on April 30, 2007, 122 Posts, 3086 Comments

Comment posted by Younes Bounhar on October 21, 2009 at 6:20 PM

Two words: WOW (ok couldn't think of a second).

Registered on November 25, 2007, 81 Posts, 1234 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on October 21, 2009 at 8:03 PM

Michael,

This is wonderful! The soft look from the fog works very well as presented, but I think there's lots of latitude with this image and you can certainly experiment by dropping the blacks even more. Have you tried b&w? Lots of options - but only because you've captured an excellent scene!

Lon

Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Simpson on October 21, 2009 at 8:31 PM

Would not change a thing, just pure magic!

Wayne

Registered on December 11, 2006, 303 Posts, 924 Comments

Comment posted by Benjamin Glatt on October 22, 2009 at 12:25 AM

Epic! Nice work, Michael.

Registered on July 15, 2007, 171 Posts, 3566 Comments

Comment posted by Tom Nevesely on October 22, 2009 at 11:43 AM

I really like th graphic lines here Michael. I would be temped to boost the contrast a bit more but that's just me. It's still great the way it is.

Registered on June 14, 2005, 147 Posts, 1550 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Lilly on October 22, 2009 at 12:05 PM

I'd like to thank everyone again for the invaluable input- I've come up with an alternate version of this image with a bit darker blacks and a smidge more contrast in general while still keeping the foggy/indistinct ambiance, and I think it's an improvement.

Registered on May 27, 2004, 28 Posts, 289 Comments

Comment posted by Eric Good on October 22, 2009 at 7:45 PM

I'd put this in the print que as is. Wonderful work start to finish!

Registered on March 17, 2007, 116 Posts, 4764 Comments

Comment posted by Rafael Rojas on October 23, 2009 at 4:59 AM

very ethereal. I like it a lot.

Registered on March 1, 2009, 56 Posts, 623 Comments

Comment posted by Helio Cristovao on October 26, 2009 at 12:12 PM

Great job Michael! I like the atmosphere here, really well captured abstract. About your question, contrast of the scene I guess it´s well and I would leave it just as is.

Registered on September 15, 2009, 83 Posts, 434 Comments