This is from last week when I was out snowshoeing. We’re getting another few inches today so I’ll be on snowshoes for a while yet. If I can find a place to park. That’s getting sketchy this time of year, but it’s just how it is. At the time there was about 2 1/2 feet of accumulation and it will be 3 by the end of the day. Top 5 snowiest Marches on record.
Anyway, I think that’s a boulder under there and the contours, textures, light and shadow just drew me off trail to get this. Mostly photographers loathe direct sun, but it can be an advantage in certain situations and I quite like it in winter forest scenes.
Specific Feedback and Self-Critique
I tried to get some separation between the rocky contour and the tree shadow just on top of it, but just couldn’t because of the deep snow and all the clutter in the scene and where I had to try to walk. Does it bug you?
Lr for some wb adjustment and the usual s-curve. Texture and clarity to bring up the snow more clearly. Masking to even out highlight areas. A bit of sharpening and a crop to eliminate some distractions and emphasize the repeating nature of the shadows.
Kris, a really detailed and expert capture of the snow’s texture, imho. The lack of separation you refer to doesn’t bother me as the line doesn’t look broken, keeping the balance of those 5 parallel lines (including the corners). The highlight for me though is the hole where the snow has sunk into a mysterious unseen chink in the rock below (which I think your title calls up). It creates a fine tension with the overall abstract patterns.
Thanks @Mike_Friel - with all the big landscapes, this little winter scene is a bit harder to spend time with and I appreciate you taking some. Glad the shadow patterns work and the texture doesn’t seem overdone. These little slices of the woods just knock me out sometimes.
Direct sunlight and clean, fresh snow is one of my favorite things, Kris! I love the sculptures, shadows and textures that are available everywhere. You did a very nice job of capturing the textures & details in both the lighted and shadowed parts of this scene. One thing that happens a lot in these conditions may not have been noticed by everyone viewing this image but I spotted it right away because it’s one of those favorite things of mine. The portion of the shadow that should be the darkest is actually the lightest! This is because of the back-lighting reflection from the bright snow beyond the shadow. I have a photo that is a great example of that phenomenon. It was shot directly toward the sun but the area was shaded by the South mountain peaks plus there was a whole snow covered mountain directly behind me which was lit up so brightly that it was like a second sun shining in the opposite direction. The shadows of the stream banks which would normally be dark when shooting toward the sun (even when shaded) are actually the brightest parts of the scene! Here is the photo:
hey thanks @Gary_Minish - that’s exactly what’s happening - reflection! Snow is so good for that. I see it happening in the scene you posted. Same thing on a much grander scale. The little pocket in mine is less than a foot wide. Cool effect for sure.
