Red Barn in Winter

[llewpics]

There is some really great snow on everything here right now ...this barn was yellow - I thought Red made better impact ...thoughts?

[OldClicker]

Having trouble with finding the subject. The tree is the dominant feature of the image, but the color takes me to the barn that's just too small. - Terry

[t200]

Beautiful photo, and love the barn in the background!

[Photo-John]

I like it! I think it's a very striking image and I really enjoy looking at it. I understand OldClicker's point about the scale of the barn in the image and he makes perfect sense. But - I still love it. I do think the tree is the actual subject and the barn is more of a background detail. But it's an important detail. That bit of color attracts my eye and helps make it a more dynamic composition. I don't think the tree alone would be nearly as good. It is interesting to think about how changing the scale of the barn by moving around and changing focal lengths might change the photo.

[Ridgetop]

Nice. Without the barn the shot would have been pretty typical of snowy pics.

[Photo-John]

Nice. Without the barn the shot would have been pretty typical of snowy pics.

Got anything to suggest for making this better? Remember, this particular forum is for serious photo critique. If you don't make an effort to do a little analysis and offer some useful criticism, you sell the photographer and yourself short. We want this forum to be more than just a place where we pat each other on the back

[GB1]

Not bad. It's a pretty scene, but I keep seeing the things that prevent it from being even better:

- the telephone lines and pole(s)
- the barn being too small in the frame in relation to everything else
- too much of the barn being blocked from view

I would try removing the lines and poles, and also removing the barn via some fancy post processing, see what you get. You also might consider trying to get that blue a little darker - it's nice!

G

PS - Congrats on the FP!

[llewpics]

Thanks to everyone for the comments. Regarding the telephone pole, I did have one version where I removed it ...so I may look at that again. This was shot with a 10mm (16mm equivalent) lens to basically capture this whole tree with one shot ...which rendered the barn small. The title should be something lie "Country Winter Scene" or some such - and would perhaps help with the barn situation. I do like it with the little barn better ...than without one at all - color anyway. In BW, I actually like taking it without the barn. Next snow I will do more ...

[Photo-John]

Check your PMs, llewpics. I sent you one about this photo. Thanks!

[slowerthensnot]

Maybe if the big tree was centered in the photo and less of the foreground bushes in the shot might make the barn more tied into the shot? I do like the barn being red vrs yellow would have been lost in the photo

[Ptax]

I agree the red is a better color for the barn, but I struggle with the idea of using post-processing to change something as fundamental as the color of the barn. I understand using post-processing to delete minor flaws, light flares, etc. The barn was not red. It was yellow. Why not make the best image of what is available?

I would be interested to see a post of the original image with the yellow barn.

[llewpics]

Ptax ...good question about color changing. I actually do it very seldom. But in general, if it was a piece of editorial, journalistic or documentary photography I would never do anything like that. I would never even use a 10mm lens (16mm equivalent) because it "distorts reality". Barn was not that small in natural surrounding. However, I am creating a art image - one that is used to convey an emotion related to an experience - which is subjective. Within that creative frame - changing color and using a super wide angle filter is acceptable (to me anyway).

[Ptax]

I appreciate your thoughtful reply. I had hesitated on my first post, not wanting to offend. You make a good point. Interesting thought on the 10mm, also. Thanks for being open to another's p.o.v.

[llewpics]

I appreciate your thoughtful reply. I had hesitated on my first post, not wanting to offend. You make a good point. Interesting thought on the 10mm, also. Thanks for being open to another's p.o.v.

No problem ...I actually enjoy these discussions much more than "Good work" type ...there is something meaningful we can discuss about every photo ...

[rossi46]

What I love about this photo is very pleasing winter and snow color that you show here. I had always love such shots because I have never seen snow in my life.

The composition is almost very good, if not for the following reasons -
- the foreground branches on the right of the barn is too close to the barn and crowded things.
I know its a stupid suggestion, how about cutting away some of the foreground branches before taking the photo, I am sure environmentalist would not agree with this.