Snowy Branches

[joebranko]

Taken at Beamer Point Ontario.

Looking through the branches, across the valley at the forest beyond.

[Manfred M]

Joe - this image would have been much more effective had you given the viewers a point of interest to draw in their attention. As it stands there is a mass of white and brown, but nothing that really helps us lock into the image.

[joebranko]

Joe - this image would have been much more effective had you given the viewers a point of interest to draw in their attention. As it stands there is a mass of white and brown, but nothing that really helps us lock into the image.

You are right Manfred, that is all to this scene, brown tree trunks and branches against a background of snow, But that was what I liked about the scene; the contrast between the dark tree limbs and the white blanket of snow.

[escape]

You are right Manfred, that is all to this scene, brown tree trunks and branches against a background of snow, But that was what I liked about the scene; the contrast between the dark tree limbs and the white blanket of snow.

Joe, I had a knowing smile from your response. Liking a photo that doesn't quite work.

[Manfred M]

Joe - this is a problem I discovered many years ago in my own work. I would take a scene that I liked and other people really did not think much of my efforts.

After a while I figured out what the problem was. I had memories, usually favourable memories, of the location and the image reminded me of the sights, sounds, smells, ambience, etc. The people that I showed the images to did not have my personal experience and could only see what I had recorded.

Frankly, that is how I started getting into more serious landscape photography as I wanted to find a better way of sharing my experiences. I've gotten to the point where I can do both; retain those memories and have people want to see my images.

[escape]

Very true Manfred. Something I recently have come to realize. .

[Wavelength]

I have a feeling that, if you had a low view point then the branches would appear in front that brownish back ground-which is now available only as an uppermost strip- giving more contrast for snow clad branches with background.

[Geoff F]

It does look better with the lightbox view where there is more contrast but, with reference to the previous comments, perhaps cropping differently to concentrate on a more specific area might be something to consider?

[joebranko]

I have a feeling that, if you had a low view point then the branches would appear in front that brownish back ground-which is now available only as an uppermost strip- giving more contrast for snow clad branches with background.

Thanks Nandakumarm. I will see if that's feasible the next time I am there.

[joebranko]

After a while I figured out what the problem was. I had memories, usually favourable memories, of the location and the image reminded me of the sights, sounds, smells, ambience, etc. The people that I showed the images to did not have my personal experience and could only see what I had recorded.

You may have hit the nail on the head.

[DanK]

My experience has been similar to Manfred's. In addition, scenes in forests are particularly problematic in this respect. Our brain filters out what's uninteresting, but the camera doesn't, and many shots in the woods are very cluttered. This one unfortunately is.

For many years, I spent part of the summer in the center of the Adirondack mountains. Joe, since you are from Ontario, you probably have some idea what that's like. The park is over 6 million acres (roughly 2.5 million hectares), and it's mostly forest. Our cabin was surrounded by miles and miles of largely unbroken forest. And during all those years, I got very few keepers shooting in the forest.

[joebranko]

. Our brain filters out what's uninteresting, but the camera doesn't, and many shots in the woods are very cluttered. This one unfortunately is.st.

Thanks Dan..
That's very interesting. I never thought or compared what our minds 'see' vs. what the camera captures. I have many pictures of forest scenes with snow covered ground and branches which only I seem to like. In this case Manfreds point is also valid as I do have an emotional connection to this place.

[Wavelength]

Even a single such snow clad tree if you could locate somewhere there, shot with a wide aperture that diffuses out everything else would be another possibility?