My weakness in winter is a single leaf in the snow. This time a big tooth aspen with just a little dusting. I always try to go out after it snows and I got lucky with some slightly filtered sunlight. Freshness and a sense of ending is what I got with this and the dichotomy is interesting. At least it is to me.
And a couple as verticals (I did change camera position on the tripod) -
Thoughts? I find I like the idea of movement, but am not happy with the limited real estate on screen.
Type of Critique Requested
Aesthetic: Feedback on the overall visual appeal of the image, including its color, lighting, cropping, and composition.
Conceptual: Feedback on the message and story conveyed by the image.
Technical: Feedback on the technical aspects of the image, such as exposure, color, focus and reproduction of colors and details, post-processing, and print quality.
Specific Feedback and Self-Critique
So I played with like eleventy-billion crops and leaf positions with this photo - both in the snow and in processing. I you really want to see them all, let me know. LOL, but if you only want to see a few I can post them. This is the one I chose for a few reasons and mostly it was continuity - giving the leaf space to fall upward into - the opposite of what leaves do, as if it has a will and it can move itself. Conversely it can be the trajectory it passed through as it fell. Either way, I feel it is strong, but I am biased.
Technical Details
Tripod
Lr for a crap ton of messing with crops, horizontal and vertical flips. In the basic panel the usual brightening for the snow plus white balance, and some texture in the leaf, took down the shadows, added some clarity and sharpening. HSL panel to separate the luminosity in the leaf colors and add some saturation. Removed a few specks in the snow.
The large version reveals plenty of subtle texture in the snow and details in the leaf are ideal. The composition needs something and I’m not sure what that could be. Maybe less or more negative space. More space would create a composition that strongly suggests desolation and isolation. Less creates more emphasis on the detail of the leaf. Pretty cool image though, and may require a few tweaks to the comp to find the sweet spot…Jim
What I love about this image, Kris is the graceful way the stem of the leaf curves. Interesting how that just caught my eyes right away. As for the position of the leaf. . . .my inclination is to have it turned every so slightly inward. Say facing northeastish. But this is clearly a personal taste/choice and what your vision was at the time. The detail in the leaf and your handling of the snow are envious.
Hi Kris
This really caught me as I was going through images. This and your title. It’s a quiet morning here and now for me, and I am quiet too, and your title is so very poignant. I have to say that Conceptually, the message is delivered masterfully.
Compositionally, I can see the leaf being tilted slightly, with the tip pointing to maybe around 1 o’clock (or less even), to suggest a sense of motion and leaving. As it sits now it seems fully at rest, not intending to leave at all. But maybe that fits with your story… it isn’t on the move as yet, rather it is considering a future of leaving.
You didn’t ask for Emotional feedback, yet this is where this hits me the most.
Mark, it’s funny how some photos strike us so specifically depending on what’s going on in our lives. When I took it I was upbeat and having a great day. In processing it just struck me differently; probably because when I photographed it, I was working away at creating many photos, of this and other things. So it felt less lonely at the time; like it fit in with something. I tend to edit more slowly and I don’t batch process (I don’t even use presets that I’ve created). Every shot lives on its own unless I specifically intend for them to be presented together on my blog. Oh lord, I’m rambling now, but check out the OP for a rotated version and two verticals.
Oh, that’s funny. I can just picture that and it made me laugh this morning.
But I get it, sometimes it’s really hard deciding on a crop especially when there are several that “work” and yet each have their own feel. In this case, I like the second image with the slight rotation. I feel that the rotation adds good energy to the image. Otherwise, I like the added touch of the snow ON TOP of the leaf and of course all of that negative space with just the right amount of texture.
Thanks @Mark_Muller, @linda_mellor for coming back to chime in on the change. I think it was the suggestion I needed!
@Tom_Nevesely - glad I gave you a chuckle. It was crazy playing with this thing and I lost track of what it actually looked like SOOC. I have a few other leaves in snow from this day and all have that little sprinkle of fresh on top, but with most of the leaf itself showing. I will see if I can post some after I get home later.
Kris: I’m late to the party but your weakness for leaves is so understandable. I do like the small rotation of the original comp. Superbly done. >=))>
