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Winter's Last Remark
Winter's Last Remark
shamer


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Free Study 2007-04 (Expert Editing*)
Camera: Pentax *ist DL
Lens: Pentax SMC-M 135mm f/3.5
Location: Auburn Hills, MI
Date: Apr 6, 2007
Aperture: f/11
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/6
Galleries: Nature, Macro
Date Uploaded: Apr 30, 2007

 This was one of the most challenging shots I've done. It involved spending the better part of last month's Good Friday outside while the last snow squall of the season brewed up.

The set-up: Pentax *IST DL with a 135mm f/3.5 + reversing ring + 55mm f/1.8 on a tripod pointed directly down. I chased snowflakes around with a sheet of glass from a picture frame and would then place this under the camera set-up. I would move the glass around like a microscope slide until I found decent subjects to shoot.

Not easy to do given the conditions! The wind would pick up & blow my subjects away and heat would transfer through the glass from my hand & start melting the flakes. Despite the fact that I could walk around my yard & find excellent examples of snowflakes to shoot, I just couldn't manage to catch one on that glass!

Anyway, I'll be disappointed if this doesn't break 6.0 but I think hoping for the scores I was thinking I would get while shooting is out of the question here now. It just didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped and I'm also afraid people will think it's fake - given the rule set...

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Well, not too bad in the end. Thanks for the nice comments...

Statistics
Place: 96 out of 573
Avg (all users): 6.2655
Avg (commenters): 7.8000
Avg (participants): 6.1825
Avg (non-participants): 6.4706
Views since voting: 1263
Views during voting: 251
Votes: 177
Comments: 7
Favorites: 3 (view)

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AuthorThread
 05/09/2007 12:21:37 AM
Greetings from the Critique Club.

This is a stunning photograph. The details of the snowflakes is astounding, and the arrangement is artful. But it's the color that really sets the mood; it's perfect. And the vignette tops it off nicely.

I love the composition; I doubt you could have arranged the snowflakes better if you'd been able to. Besides the 3 flakes, the oval vignette acts as a subtle fourth element that is gradated and positioned just right to balance the photo. The overall similarities between the flakes unify the photo and the obvious differences and imperfections engage the viewer, inviting closer examination.

The lighting is just right to show off the snowflakes. Exposure and focus are perfect. The soft focus fits the subject well; snowflakes are supposed to be soft! Although a sharper focus would bring out more details, it would detract from the mood and perhaps make the snowflakes look fake.

I wish you had described your postprocessing steps; you did a great job. It has the feel of a duotone, but whether you actually used that technique or not is irrelevant. You've succeeded in bringing out and enhancing the natural beauty here.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/08/2007 04:43:51 AM
your work paid off-a great shot & you surpassed your hopes for the score. Top 100 finish-not shabby at all! Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
05/05/2007 11:24:01 PM
amazingly beautiful! how did you do this? what a wonderful capture & beautifully edited.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/03/2007 07:44:37 PM
Pretty. I've never shot one of these before but I hear they are not easy to shoot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2007 09:49:42 AM
Great photo, the blue works great.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2007 10:04:36 PM
Great presentation of a snow flake....6
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2007 12:08:49 AM
I would really like to know how to capture real snowflakes....
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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