Snow in the Pine Forest

Gallery: LandscapePosted March 22, 201815,280 views13 comments

This is another picture I made during our recent snow fall. I shot this one in the pine forest near my home before I headed into the river bottoms. It was still kind of dark in the early morning and I ended up using a high ISO of 1600 which is really unusual for me. I'm normally between 50 and 400 but I wanted to make the shot and move. I really didn't want to wait for more light because my plan was to head to the river bottoms right away and have time to find something I like. It was a fun day for me with lots of hiking through the snow. This one is a b&w conversion.
5DMK4, 24-105L @35mm, ISO 1600, F/5.6 1/13 sec.

Comments

13 comments

Comment posted by Doug Koepsel on March 22, 2018 at 4:55 PM

NIck, I like the whiter snow-covered boughs arcing across the upper middle. I wonder about an alternative crop off the bottom above the lower set of boughs to make this more horizontal to match/accentuate the horizontal upper boughs.

Registered on April 1, 2010, 196 Posts, 1592 Comments

Comment posted by Ed McGuirk on March 22, 2018 at 5:50 PM

Nick I really like your B&W processing, the level of contrast is spot on, and you've retained nice shadow detail. The image has a great winter feeling to it. I sort of agree with Doug about the composition, the top half of the image is much more interesting to me than the bottom half. The snow cover leaves at the top are so strong an element, that I could even see a panoramic crop working here, using just the top 40% or so of the image.

Registered on November 29, 2017, 19 Posts, 260 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on March 22, 2018 at 7:08 PM

Thanks Doug and Ed! I think your crop suggestion could work and here is a version with that done. Appreciate your comments guys!
Nick

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on March 23, 2018 at 9:08 AM

Another nice winter scene, Nick. For my tastes, the cropped version takes it too far. I think i would prefer a crop of maybe 1/3 (or slightly less) of the area between the bottom and the upper leaves. I think the horizontal branches below the leaves add a great deal to the scene. It is a fun image to play with, however you crop it.

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

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on March 23, 2018 at 9:23 AM

Thanks Harley! I agree and think I took the crop to far. I'll work on it a little more as I get a little time. Pretty busy with some deadlines the next couple of days... cool

Nick

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by Ed Lowe on March 23, 2018 at 11:07 AM

I actually prefer the original post, Nick. The scene contains so many amazing details and textures to savor and enjoy that I do not want to lose them with a crop. I also think the vertical lines of the tree trunks works beautifully with the horizontal format. Great eye to isolate this winter woodland scene.

Ed

Registered on February 7, 2004, 414 Posts, 7115 Comments

Comment posted by Preston Birdwell on March 23, 2018 at 11:33 AM

Nick, while the pano crop zeroes in on the nice snow covered leaves, I prefer the original composition. The original has an openness and details that speak well of the mood and the day. The processing is right on. Well seen, and nicely done!
--P

Registered on November 1, 2003, 471 Posts, 5188 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on March 23, 2018 at 12:48 PM

Nick, this is a great look at a snowy forest. That set of horizontal, snow covered leaves near the top contrast very nicely with all the dark vertical trunks. I can see the attraction to the focused view in the cropped version, but I do like the space and the "whole forest" view in the original post.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Richter on March 24, 2018 at 1:56 AM

This is a wonderful image to me, Nick I would not crop anything, it gives me a very nice natural feel of this wintry scene. Your processing is spot on to my eye, I especially like the tonality and details in the barks.

Peter

Registered on November 10, 2010, 218 Posts, 2723 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on March 24, 2018 at 8:26 AM

Thanks guys! I really do appreciate all the comments and suggestions. I do like the uncropped version much better myself but can see why cropping it would come up when looking at it. Thanks so much! Nick

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by Genny K. on March 25, 2018 at 8:49 PM

I would have called this, "Dream World". Such a great combo of sharp and soft, and bright against dark. You have a real knack of getting really good comps of these snowy trees.
I prefer the original post. For me, that canopy branches at the top sort of frames the distant trunks in the middle of the image.
Well done!

Registered on June 5, 2006, 132 Posts, 2001 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Breitkreuz on March 28, 2018 at 3:26 PM

Nick, I'll go with the original here on this scene, it's a killer........ devil

Registered on February 25, 2006, 525 Posts, 8448 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on March 28, 2018 at 4:48 PM

Genny and Paul, Thanks much for your thoughts on this. I agree and like the original much better. Nick

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments