Snowing

Not sure if this one works or I just want it to work. I took this a few weeks ago on a short photo walk in the foothills. The mountain bikers were out getting in early season rides and it started to snow like crazy. Does the snow work here or does it just look like a muddy, blurry photo?

Thanks!

It doesn't really look like snow. At least, it could pass as a light quick drizzle of snow. Some of the textures do seem a bit blurry. Still, the image has a very vague implication of snow, and so the relationship between being out and suddenly being snowed on is not really told well as a story in this image. The exposure and detail is interesting, but its a bit monotone and their is some sort of blur type stuff around the textures of the trees. A bit of contrast and sharpening might increase the sense of depth, but I dunno, I'm sure you got plenty better on this shoot.

While the portrait crop seems to emphisize the steepness of the terrain I think there is a bit much of it. Also a fraction of a second later your would have got that rider in the clear which would have improved the shot.

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Originally Posted by Anbesol

I'm sure you got plenty better on this shoot.

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Unfortunately, I didn't. I wasn't riding and I wasn't planning to shoot mountain bikers so I didn't have anyone to work with. This was just sort of a random shot I wish worked better. Part of the problem is I'm not actually sure how to give the feeling of the snow falling and still have the subject be clear. There's some technical trick there that I haven't figured out yet.

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Originally Posted by hminx

While the portrait crop seems to emphisize the steepness of the terrain I think there is a bit much of it. Also a fraction of a second later your would have got that rider in the clear which would have improved the shot.

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I actually like the rider behind the tree in this image. That little bit of obscuration sort of adds to the hazy, lonely feel of the photo. At least I think it does :)

I like the steepness, too. I do think a tighter shot might have been better. It might have even emphasized the snow in the air. I'm not sure about that but I think longer focal lengths make the snow more obvious. Unfortunately, I've already cropped this one a lot and I would feel uncomfortable cropping it more.

I think this is going to be one of those photos that doesn't quite work except as an educational tool :)

Just a thought, but had you tried using the LAB mode and over sharpening the grey channel. ? This may help to emphisize the snow.

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Originally Posted by Photo-John

Unfortunately, I didn't. I wasn't riding and I wasn't planning to shoot mountain bikers so I didn't have anyone to work with. This was just sort of a random shot I wish worked better. Part of the problem is I'm not actually sure how to give the feeling of the snow falling and still have the subject be clear. There's some technical trick there that I haven't figured out yet.

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haha yup, I don't know it either. The image you posted was a lot closer than I ever got to it.

Snow and rain is sort of an unusual thing to try to capture.

usually for moving subjects, i like to see the space ahead of the subject, to give it space to move in to. in this case, it's ok because those tree branches add to the outdoorsy type of the shot.

i wouldn't have known that was snow if it wasn't for the title. and I wouldn't know where to start shooting a snow fall, but maybe the flakes gotta be a lot bigger to be captured by the camera? also had there been snow on the ground the snow would've been more apparent, but then again the rider wouldn't have been out there lol.

i think the biggest problem with the photo is it's very monotone, same hues all over the place. it lacks a bit of contrast i think

Also, quick question. Is there a way to change our names here on the forum? I wanna change my name to Liban, is that possible?