Trying for a mood. C&C appreciated.

[AndrewMcD]

I was reaching for a mood of loneliness and foreboding.

[Rebel]

It feels like there should be more of the foreground?

[AndrewMcD]

Matt - Thanks for the response! I have cropped the original and here is another crop with more in the fore. My first crop was an effort to put more emphasis on the diagonal tree which I felt went more towards the mood I was after. In this version I like the shape of the stream through the ice.

[Mike Buckley]

Also try converting to monochrome.

[Shadowman]

And so many other emotions this could convey.

[Max von MeiselMaus]

I like that idea, with the misty, low contrast feel and the sparse trunks and branches.

Agree that it needed more foreground. If you have it, I would be tempted to add a little more, bringing the horizon up to about the 1/3 point.

What it needs now is a bit more structure. You've got some good, oblique lines going there, with the tree trunks. You also have an oblique line in the water, from the bottom right corner, pointing into the scene. If the elements formed a stronger, overall shape, it would give it more punch. I would therefore look at ways of recropping it to make more of your useful ingredients. I would be tempted to go with a square aspect and lose all of that vegetation on the right. It isn't adding much and you would emphasise your good obliques by cutting it out.

I know you are looking for misty, but I would also experiment by resetting the white and black points to give it a bit more kick.

It is an atmospheric shot. I like it.

[selig1656]

Personally the second pic is my pick , could use a little more in the contrast to emphasize the tree etc.

[bnnrcn]

Hi Andrew. I like the second image compositionally but I agree with you that the first image is more towards the mood.

[AndrewMcD]

A B&W conversion of the crop that I prefer. I like the tighter crop because I feel it draws me into the scene and gives a bit more emphasis to the trees lurking in the snow and shadows.

[Mike Buckley]

I like the tighter crop because I feel it draws me into the scene and gives a bit more emphasis to the trees lurking in the snow and shadows.

Agreed; the other composition tells a different but equally compelling story.

At the risk of patting myself on the back for suggesting the monochrome version, this works best for me of everything presented so far. The image doesn't suggest the mood of loneliness or foreboding that you see, but it definitely suggests a very nice, moody atmosphere for me. Well done!

[AndrewMcD]

Agreed; the other composition tells a different but equally compelling story.

At the risk of patting myself on the back for suggesting the monochrome version, this works best for me of everything presented so far. The image doesn't suggest the mood of loneliness or foreboding that you see, but it definitely suggests a very nice, moody atmosphere for me. Well done!

A well deserved pat on the back it would be as I so often find your advice and guidance very useful.

It's good to hear that the image does evoke a moody atmosphere for you. I wouldn't expect others to see it in just the way that I might but if it evokes some emotional reaction then I'm at least on the right track.
Thanks for the help and advice.

[Mike Buckley]

if it evokes some emotional reaction then I'm at least on the right track.

To be very precise, my definition of art as it applies to me is that anything made by mankind that moves me is art. Your image moves me. Enough said!

[ShaneS]

Andrew I saw this thread this morning and have revisited it a couple of times during my day. I don't get a sense of foreboding from this image by I do get a sense of melancholy peacefulness. I prefer the first crop and find myself torn between the color and mono versions with a slight lean towards the color version where the amber tones enhance the mood of the scene for me.

It is a lovely image Andrew so kudos from me

[flashback]

Andrew, maybe a bit more contrast in the B&W (a great idea and good conversion), maybe try playing with the curves a bit. I feel that the B&W comes close to what you're trying to convey.

[bnnrcn]

I prefer the B&W version too.

[Mike Buckley]

maybe a bit more contrast in the B&W

That type of decision always involves a range of acceptable treatments, so perhaps a bit more contrast would work. However, in this case, if I were to err, I would err on the side of too little contrast rather than too much because too much contrast would completely spoil the mood. On the other hand, more contrast might create a very different mood that is acceptable for a different reason, though not the mood initially intended when Andrew envisioned the image.