It Snowed! (Finally!)

[Katy Noelle]

The Big Red Barn!



The side of Tom's shop.



Turning left out of our driveway.



The view of our neighbor (my wonderful MIL) from the road in front of our house.



Wow! I must live in a gorgeous place, or something!

iphoto (which must know that I'm about to abandon it) keeps quitting on me and won't save my changes correctly. Actually, this has been happening increasingly for two months, now, but it's really bad, tonight.

I could swear that I brightened these but, now, they look dim. It was very cloudy, still!

edit: now, they look fine! I think that I was holding my laptop wrong!

The first one, I had a lovely subtle color red going on the barn. One that matches Tom's shop more but this is what I'm stuck with, at the moment. I think that it's kind of pretty, too, though. What do you think, please?

C&C on anything, anyone? Thank you very much, in advance!

[jiro]

The Big, Red Barn is a sure winner for me, Katy. Very nice!

[jeeperman]

The color of the barn is really nice against the winter scene.

[wilgk]

#1 and #3 are my favourites - what fun you will have playing in this with your new lens

[Sahil]

Like first one the most, for its colour contrast & composition.
I see lotsa potential in #2, but can't really figure out what PoV I would have chosen, if it were me taking this shot. May be, I would have focussed on the first window. Not sure....

[Sahil]

I would have tried it with a wide-Angle lens, & en-cashed upon the distortion... I hope I am making some sense.
Possible for you to redo the 2nd shot?

[ScoutR]

#1 is perfect to my eye Katy. Just the kind of shot I love. Simple in both comp and colours and I notice that you managed to keep the whole barn below the tree line which I think is a good thing to do. I'm always splitting my subject between sky and earth which if it can be prevented I think works for a much better shot.

I also love # 3. I can picture a person walking a dog or riding a horse down this lane and that would have been lovely, however, even without a central point of interest, I think the scene itself and the way you have composed it make it a winner.

Glad you got your snow Katy, these are all quite beautiful, but #1 is a real keeper, I hope you get that one printed and framed.

Wendy

[dragonaxe]

what a beautiful place to live!!! Ive packed my camera stuff...when can i come and stay?

[RichB]

I love the red barn against the white, all the elegance of selective colour without it looking silly.

[DippyRebel]

Big Red Barn is a cracker! Love the rich red in the snow - like Richard said, it's like selective colour but much better

[Donald]

The Big Red Barn!

The people have spoken - You've really nailed it with this one. My only suggestion is that you clone out that post just creeping into frame at the very bottom right. Once you see it there, you can't stop it getting into your eyeline and it starts to get irritating.

I also like Tom's shop, although might have been tempted to take one, or two steps to the right, just so that I could have been slightly more 'square-on' (or at less of an angle) to the windows.

I like the way the trees overhang the track in #3. There's not a lot of definition on the track though. If you had got it just after the first vehicle had been along and there were only two tracks in the undisturbed snow, I think it would have been even more powerful.

Not so keen on the last one. It's sort of neither the house or the tree.

[Wirefox]

Definitely the 1st one with the red barn Katy. You have a beautiful dusting of snow there at present.

I have to say that having an active imagination (and watching too many American B movies and Criminal Minds) I always expect something sinister when I see these lonely buildings in the US. It is amazing how I survived my trips to the States. I was convinced we were going to be car jacked by drug barons when traveling around California and I was sure that Harry Callahan was going to mistake me for a serial killer and blow me away with his 44. In New York I made such a point of not looking into peoples eyes that I became quite dazed by bumping into sign posts. I was convinced every yellow cab driver was going to drive me out into the country side and eat my liver. You certainly have a gorgeous country but your film and TV industry do not exactly walk hand in hand as far as foreign PR goes

[djg05478]

Hi Katy - Great shots. I just recently had an epiphany about how lucky we are to have all these really really cool barns still standing (or mostly standing) in VT and I have been taking them for granted.

Debbie

[arith]

I like #3, looks like you got a lot of traffic, but nice.

[Katy Noelle]

Like first one the most, for its colour contrast & composition.
I see lotsa potential in #2, but can't really figure out what PoV I would have chosen, if it were me taking this shot. May be, I would have focussed on the first window. Not sure....

I would have tried it with a wide-Angle lens, & en-cashed upon the distortion... I hope I am making some sense.
Possible for you to redo the 2nd shot?

and, Donald said....

I also like Tom's shop, although might have been tempted to take one, or two steps to the right, just so that I could have been slightly more 'square-on' (or at less of an angle) to the windows.

Don't worry, I have only just begun to photograph this idea.

I was interested to know what anyone would say about this. As I was walking down to the road, glancing to my left, I saw this. I couldn't stop quickly in my tracks, though, because there is ice under the snow. By the time I stopped, I was a few paces forward which would have made the more logical shot but it wasn't what caught my eye; so, I backed up and shot this. I think it's the texture of the slats on the barn and that the windows are just "smudges" that I like. I have more ideas and, probably could have done even this one better. Thanks for your suggestions - into the simmering pot they go!

[Katy Noelle]

Thanks, all, for your encouragement and input - so much praise from people who's opinions I really respect! Very helpful, too!

Simple in both comp and colours and I notice that you managed to keep the whole barn below the tree line which I think is a good thing to do. I'm always splitting my subject between sky and earth which if it can be prevented I think works for a much better shot.

Thanks, Wendy! I used the new 60mm prime for this shot and you should have seen me trying to "zoom with my feet" and get to a good perspective with the trees behind the whole barn. There's ice under the snow and I was slipping and sliding up and down the hill to get the shot! Actually, Tom's stepfather came out on the porch of their house and took a picture of me taking pictures. I asked him if he got a shot of me falling on my rump. He said, "No, but he could sketch it for me!" Ironically, I think the snow shoes are still in the barn. We have a good six inches, so far.

Donald, thanks for pointing that post out. I thought that I had missed it, when I cropped it a little. I was worried about the top left corner, where I was trying to avoid the bits of branches that I couldn't fully erase.

Yes, Debbie, isn't it strange how we get almost immune to how perfectly imperfect this state is? When I first moved here from California, (yes, I'm a "flatlander" - Tom, is a real Vermonter, though - generations of them - the king actually gave them their land) I thought that everything was so beautiful and quaint and, now, I can barely see it. We have barns and covered bridges, too! (although, they're a little trickier, than I thought, to make really spectacular. You know, not just a snapshot.) Then, there are the gorgeous, subtle layers of the Appalachian range and all of the graveyards, too. Churches, trees, animals, streams. Oi!

The road.....? The snowplow got to it just as I was walking down the drive - sigh!

[Donald]

Thanks, Wendy! I used the new 60mm prime for this shot and you should have seen me trying to "zoom with my feet" and get to a good perspective with the trees behind the whole barn. There's ice under the snow and I was slipping and sliding up and down the hill to get the shot!

In situations such as this, always, but ALWAYS make sure you flip yourself as you fall if necessary, so that you do end up on your rear-end! Your rump can be quickly (and cheaply) repaired.

That should go into the Tips thread.

[wilgk]

Give the snow plough man some of the scones and fairy cakes and he'll be working to a schedule that suits you in no time..

[Donald]

Give the snow plough man some of the scones and fairy cakes and he'll be working to a schedule that suits you in no time..

Like I said in another thread, the whole issue of who really came up with the recipe for the scones is in doubt. Suzy has presented a very convincing case to suggest that she has copyright. I foresee litigation.

[Camellia]

Definitely the 1st one with the red barn Katy. You have a beautiful dusting of snow there at present.

I have to say that having an active imagination (and watching too many American B movies and Criminal Minds) I always expect something sinister when I see these lonely buildings in the US. It is amazing how I survived my trips to the States. I was convinced we were going to be car jacked by drug barons when traveling around California and I was sure that Harry Callahan was going to mistake me for a serial killer and blow me away with his 44. In New York I made such a point of not looking into peoples eyes that I became quite dazed by bumping into sign posts. I was convinced every yellow cab driver was going to drive me out into the country side and eat my liver. You certainly have a gorgeous country but your film and TV industry do not exactly walk hand in hand as far as foreign PR goes

Steve has said it perfectly. And made me laugh as per usual.

I love no 1 Katy - brilliant! Just perfect. I looked at it last night and have been thinking about it since. Basically 3 colours and just perfect. Well done - gold stars for you!