Snow

[Bobobird]

We were hit but a 25-30cm snowstorm on Friday the likes which we have not seen since 2008.

Compared to our southern friends this was nothing much.

Here it created havoc, firstly because people get complacent and let snow driving skills slide and secondly despite our hundreds of snow plows working at full stretch the intensity meant that roads were covered up almost as soon as the truck passed.

I had big plans for the day but those came to a big fat ZERO after the car got stuck on a thick bank of snow. Took nearly an hour to extricate myself. Thankfully with the help of some big guys who were passing by who helped push me back on the road. Without them, it would have been impossible. I was about to call Roadside Assistance.

Anyway that put me off going into where I had wanted as conditions there would be even less favourable.

Ah well, can't win sometimes.

So what was the safest thing to do? Find a sheltered location for shapes and shadows.

Here are some.

1.


2.


3.


4.

[Donald]

That last one is amazing in that I don't think I've seen snow blow into shapes like that. Sand dunes, yes. But snow ...?

Shapes and patterns in 2 and 3 are wonderful. Well see.

And #1. Well, it's different!

[gregj1763]

All good photo's Bobo but the last is the stand out image. It would look like part of the Grand Canyon with the right colours.
So foreign to me to hear about snow falling in towns. We only get rain in winter and fires in summer

[pasusan]

I was thinking the same thing as Donald - looks like sand dunes. I like the last one best too. Also I'm jealous as our snow is all flat with no peaks and valleys - thinking of setting out a big fan...

[Mike Buckley]

This kind of photography is really difficult, especially because it so often occurs when the light is so diffused that it becomes problematic to bring out the shapes. You did a nice job of making that happen and, if I'm guessing correctly based on your typical output, of shooting beyond your comfort zone, which is always admirable.

I also like the last one the best. Consider getting rid of the three bits of twigs (or whatever they are) on the right side.

[Shadowman]

Very nice, as others have said photos 2-4 could be another setting entirely, and these aren't converted black and white am I correct.

[Mike Buckley]

these aren't converted black and white am I correct.

I'm guessing that #2 and #3 are converted. Not sure about #1. Quite confident that #4 is not converted.

[Dave Humphries]

I'm guessing that #2 and #3 are converted. Not sure about #1. Quite confident that #4 is not converted.

Hi Mike,

If you use Mozilla FireFox browser, allow me to introduce you to Color Inspector 3D, download the add-on from here.

I find it invaluable for answering questions like this

If you don't use FF, this might be a good reason to start

btw, You're right about #2 and #3, #1 looks to be reduced saturation, #4 looks to be still be in colour.

Hi Bobo,

I can only really agree with the others; I hadn't seen anything like #4 before, nor #2 and #3.

It makes me wonder what it looks like shot from a lower angle, down amongst the 'dunes' and 'canyons' - but how to achieve that?

You obviously don't want to disturb it by trampling ..., so perhaps a P&S (for lightweight) on a ball head, on a mono-pod, held like a sound mic. boom, with the camera tripped on 10 second self timer, then held out over and in the canyon, is that possible even? I don't know.

Cool shots though, as they are.

Cheers,

[jeeperman]

#2 and #4 are super images, Bobo. Very well done Sir!

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks for the tip about the Firefox plug-in, Dave. I do use Firefox but I'm not inclined to install plug-ins due to perhaps unfounded fear bordering on the realm of paranoia of causing problems to my computer.

In this case, I could have used a few simple clicks to download the images to my computer for reviewing their histograms to determine whether they had been converted. I didn't because I felt that would have been cheating.

[Bobobird]

Thanks guys for the great input. Really appreciate that.

The original intent was to use the snowstorm as a backdrop for landscapes at a beach, and hoping that it would have stopped by evening to grab a sunset. That was not to be unfortunately.

Dave, thanks for the plug-in info. I will install that.

Mike, I have been using Firefox for years and have mostly security plugins installed. Some others are for language translation, image exif, content saving etc. Overall they do not impact performance. I do have a tiny utility that runs at startup called Firemin that will minimise the memory footprint.

If you are using Windows 7 or 8, set a restore point or better still do a full backup. Then play around with the plugins, revert to the saved point or backup if you experience problems. It is always a good thing to do periodic full backups just in case.

About the pics -

#1 is almost as is, no conversion. Quite interesting too. Obviously man-made but making sure that footprints were within the arrow area and not the surroundings. It was pretty long too about 20 feet. Imagining that someone walked right in from the path, started with the arrow head and then worked backwards back to the path.

#2 is converted, the original came out very blue. Posted below. It is a night shot hence the long plant shadows. I will try to get something similar without those.

#3 is a 3 shot HDR. Testing the camera's HDR function. Came out ok but the merge was manual and then converted.

#4 is as is, cropped some. I left in the 3 twig bits deliberately. Guess that does not work.

#2 colour version.


Dave - thanks for the shooting suggestions. It was sunny yesterday and so is today so will try to use your suggestions when I go out today for some birds. I have a S100 but will be too small to handle with gloves on etc. The zoom's MFT is 39" so should be fine with that or the 150mm macro with a TC attached and/or tubes. Will see.

[Mike Buckley]

Perhaps it's my ignorance, but I would never have known that the main foreground element in photo #2 is a group of shadows; I thought they were out-of-focus plants. Though the image didn't work for me (and still doesn't in either the black-and-white or the color version), I was and remain very impressed by the creative attempt.

[FootLoose]

I like the birds in #2, bobo

[Bobobird]

I like the birds in #2, bobo

Eyes and imagination - both excellent possessions.

Mike - about #2, in some ways I like it in others not so much. Hard call to make. But that was how it was at the time. Bushes still there but I am sure the snow patterns have changed or gone.