Although I love taking pictures in snow I feel the contrast of near black on near white can be quite jarring.
I am playing about with adding texture layers which I feel give a bit more depth to the images.
I'd love to know the thoughts of the group, the initial impact of images both with & without. The examples may be overdone but I wanted to show a distinct difference in the images.
Feedback (novice or veteran, good or bad) is highly encouraged and appreciated.
Speaking as a visual photographer (as I am technically challenged) I do like the first one very much. I love starkness and in your words jarring effect of black on white. It gives a feeling of presence and power as opposed to softness and blur. And that Alan is my soft blurry opinion 😊 !!
Thanks Sandra. I appreciate your honesty.
Definitely prefer without, Alan! There is an airiness about the first for me, which the texture destroys, while the fourth image looks positively murky compared with the third, which has a pleasantly "floaty" feel for me. To my eye, the untextured versions have your signature "look", missing in the textured ones.
Having said that, if I saw the textured versions alone, especially as prints, I'd find them appealing.
Thanks Chris. Your comments strike a chord - the 'signature look' was actually a conscious decision on my part, but perhaps I'm prone to second-guessing myself.
Hi Alan. This is also about personal taste and the feel of the image one connects with.
Image 1: the smoothness complements more to the composition and feel of the image.
Image 4: Appealed me more for its rustic feel.
Cheers.
Thanks Vijay, I appreciate that feedback
I am with Vijay on this one! While you may think the purity of the first image could appear jarring, for me it is elegant in its stark simplicity. I like both versions of the second yet the one with the added texture has a depth that i find appealing. This is a favorite for me. Really awesome image!!
Thanks for your input Ruth it's great to receive all of these opinions.
To all that have responded;
Thanks for returning your sincere feedback. This proves the worthiness of the community.
I think we all look back and ask ourselves if work can be improved upon, especially if it doesn't feel 100% We should always strive to improve, but I think we have to be careful when considering a fresh look to older/familiar work.
I plan to keep both versions of each and will review over time to see if my preferences change.
I lean towards the first - there has always been something about the purity of snow scene for me. The added texture darkens the scene overall and makes it kind of look like a blizzard, but not. Less is more.
I think im leaning towards the third - again less is more.
Looking again, Alan, the third is also better composed than the fourth for me, as with your technique here you've given it an extra trunk on the right that provides a better balance to my eye.