Ice formations.

[wlou]

I came across a delicate ice formation in a frozen little stream. The intricacy of the design attracted my attention. I got a few good pictures. This one is all in softness like a feather. Its in macro, oh so small it was hard to get something in focus. Also I rotated the image so it is upside down. Ice is so difficult to take a picture of. This is like in a little cave and the difficulty was in getting enough light without blowing out the whites. Is it any good?

[Wavelength]

As beautiful as a dream.....

[Donald]

Is it any good?

Yes it is, in my opinion.

I'd probably have sought more contrast between subject and background, but I do appreciate the subtlety in the colours and tones in the whole image.

[deetheturk]

Very nice Louise!

[IzzieK]

Lovely Luoise...You got a good eye for picking up so small a shot.

[bnnrcn]

So nice

[wlou]

Thanks Nandakumar, yes dreamy. Donald I do appreciate your good comments and it is so hard to get contrast white on white. David & Binnur thanks. Isabel thank you.It was indeed very small even before the crop. All comments are appreciated.

[Donald]

Donald I do appreciate your good comments and it is so hard to get contrast white on white.

Louise - What I was thinking about was applying Local Contrast Enhancement (LCE) just on the ice crystals. You do this by applying the LCE, then putting on a Layer Mask and only revealing those parts where you want the LCE to take effect.

I hope it's okay, but the best way of explaining is to show what I mean. Maybe you and others don't like this interpretation.

[wlou]

Donald I like the enhancements you applied on the picture. It looks very good. I just have to learn how to do this. It is strange to work on a picture of something so ephemeral. Back to the drawing board or computer that is. Thanks again, this is how I learn and improve my photography.

[Donald]

The CiC tutorial on LCE, here, is very good.

[John 2]

Well spotted and a nice shot Louise. The added contrast does help it along a bit further..

[Brownbear]

Gorgeous image.. And Donald's edit makes it magical!

[Shadowman]

Nicely done.

[wlou]

John2,Christina, John, thank you for your comments. Donald, learning to do layers will be one more time and efforts to achieve I am afraid. I have got recently Perfect Photo Suite 8, and attempting to learn it by myself. I will look at a video tutorial, it looks easy enough, and then try it on one of my photos and nothing happens or I can't find what they are taking about. Oh well. The forecast is for -1C at 16:00h today, I will go outside and find something just half frozen for a change. That is a good cure for "Cabin Fever":noun informal
irritability, listlessness, and similar symptoms resulting from long confinement or isolation indoors during the winter.
I know, spring is coming. Soon?