Snow Arch

[grouseking]

While taking a walk, I snapped this photo. Kind of a funny story...a mack truck was coming, so I quickly zoomed in and took the pic (took it from across the road) and seconds after, the truck drenched me with slush from head to toe! I had just taken a two mile snowshoe and stayed relatively dry, and then hop on the road, and get absolutely soaked! Oh well, the things I do to take pictures.

Anyways here it is.

I posted this on wunderground and got a 9.6, so I'm looking for some honest critique this time!

grouseking

 

[kmorgan]

I think it's a great shot. I personally like a bit more contrast, like this:

Kevin

 

[Grumpy]

Forgive Me ...

Where‘s the subject?!?

I really like the gorgeous framing provided by the snow laden trees, and the wonderful leading line produced by that track up the middle. But the former frames and the latter leads to … nothing.

Obviously, those remarks tell you that I think an important element is missing here. To my way of seeing, this picture would be far more interesting if there were some kind of (animate) figure following the leading line, or at the end of it, framed by the arched branches.

Taken as-is, this scene has extensive and nicely preserved tonal scale, and so can be viewed as a monochromatic tonal study. That is its redeeming character and quality.

G.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Be careful what you ask for

Tim

 

[grouseking]

Be careful what you ask for

Tim

That's allright. If you look through the thousands of pictures I have, you'll notice a trend. People normally aren't in them. Like Grumpy said, it is a personal preference. I happen to like how it is, but definitely appreciate his insight, and I think I understand what he means.

I like it with no one in the shot because the picture looks fresh...no one has been there all day, and the snow appears unbroken. Its like...."take a walk under the snow arch....this way." Not a worry in the world. Normally I take walks by myself so I like these pics without people, or things in them. It gives the feeling of solitude, and I like that.

grouseking

 

[Halite]

It has a soft, poetic quality about it. Grumpy is right that it could be a great framing for a subject, such as a person or animal. But I understand your attraction to image as an invitation to go from "here" to "there", to explore the woods beyond the arch. Since that is your goal, I would suggest you try to emphasize a bit of the difference between the "here" in the foreground and the "there" in the background.

For example, there's a natural vignetting produced by the tree arch and the shadowed snow in the foreground versus the brightly lit snow in the background. If it were my image, I would play around with boosting this aspect. Kmorgan's contrast work does that, but also boosts the contrast on the edges of the image and thus pulls the eye away from where I would want it to focus. I'd try out some selective contrast and blur adjustments to lead the eye a bit more dramatically into the picture.

I also wonder what the image could have been if you had tried it from as low an angle as possible to really emphasize the leading lines of the faint tire tracks and the sense of the arch looming over the viewer?

 

[DougPaul]

I'm happy without someone in the arch. There are also the tracks that lead through and provide something to guide the eye.

Doug

 

[Papa Bear]

Where‘s the subject?!?

I really like the gorgeous framing provided by the snow laden trees, and the wonderful leading line produced by that track up the middle. But the former frames and the latter leads to … nothing.
G.

I don't agree. The subject is virtual and it's at the camera. Maybe that's a little psychological, but it's about being drawn into something unknown. You've see many a motion picture where a camera represents a character walking into something or somewhere unknown, usually sinister. The moving camera, the sound of foot steps, throw in some music and you have an intense and inviting scene.

Where's (rather who's) the subject? You are.

 

[NewHampshire]

The overexposed snow in the center is also a bit distracting, but tweaking with Photoshop could possibly fix it to an extent.

Brian

 

[Mark Schaefer]

As already pointed out. This is a very well presented scene that leads the eye into the picture to a perfectly set stage. But I agree with Grumpy that there is no clearly presented subject. No matter how well set, the eye is drawn to an empty stage.

I like the brightly lit snow at the center. It is part of the what draws the eye into the picture. In many respects this image reminds me of a famous photograph by W. Eugene Smith: A Walk to Paradise Garden, in the way that it draws the eye into a well set stage. The scenic elements in your photograph are infinitely better than Smith's, however, he has the subject which produced an enduring image.

If your safety was not at risk, perhaps trying to catch the truck as it came into the light might have provided an interesting subject. Although it might have been difficult to use a fast enough shutter speed to get an acceptably sharp image.

 

[grouseking]

[QUOTE
If your safety was not at risk, perhaps trying to catch the truck as it came into the light might have provided an interesting subject. Although it might have been difficult to use a fast enough shutter speed to get an acceptably sharp image.[/QUOTE]

I actually took this photo from across the main road, as the truck was coming on my side. It was rollin. So I looked up, saw the snow covered driveway, zoomed in, and took the picture, all in about 2-3 seconds. Then I put the camera away just in time to get drenched. Honestly, I was very lucky to get this shot off.

grouseking

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Wouldn't the shot still have been there after the truck passed? Or have I missed something?

Tim

 

[grouseking]

Wouldn't the shot still have been there after the truck passed? Or have I missed something?

Tim

After getting covered with slush I wasn't really in the mood to take any more pics. I think I took one more and walked home. I need to stick to trails.