Frost covered trees
Dec, 2015Views
1030
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Awards
People's Choice in The Polar Circle Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Emotions
Happy
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Platinum
jettahlily008
September 04, 2017
The white snow and frost is looks so beautiful against the blue sky! :)
Platinum
bkelly7k
January 29, 2019
Gorgeous shot!! I know it had to be cold, but this shot would be worth it!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in Northern Canada where we were having Christmas Camp with international students. For the last 2 days of the camp there was a beautiful hoar frost covering all the trees and plants. The last day blue sky before going.Time
It was about 1:30pm in afternoon. We were so far north that the sun does not rise until 9:30 am and does not get very high in the sky. We were all packing up to leave but had just enough time to snap a couple photos.Lighting
I was excited to see the second day of the hoar frost a beautiful blue sky came out to replace the grey hazy clouds. The sun was just hitting the tops of trees brightly which gave such good contrast to bright blue sky. The trees in the area were less dense so it allowed for the sun to come through creating the highlights. The sun was at the highest since it is quiet low on the horizon in the winter so there is not much time in the day for the sun to penetrate the trees. See where the shadows are falling and the light highlighting which can add to the effect.Equipment
Canon Powershot SX50 HS camera, Vivator polarizing lens, 2 extra batteries (it is so cold up North the batteries deplete themselves quickly) kept inside my parka.Inspiration
I love sharing Canada with international students many who have just come from countries where they do not have cold or snow. It is scenes such as this that help them understand all the postcards and Christmas cards with all the snow. I so enjoy nature and creation that to share this with others is so exciting. I give them all 4x6 of the photos we take while there. It is hard to not to enjoy beauty when it stares you in the face.Editing
Lately I have started to do post-processing but I loved it just the way it was so didn't.In my camera bag
I love taking pictures of nature and wildlife. The Canon sx50 has a 50x optical zoom which is great to get distance shots of wildlife. I usually am with a group of people so it is often difficult to lug around too much. I carry a tripod for the late night pictures of the northern lights. I have been experimenting with a neutral density variable filter but in the winter not much need of smoothing the water (ice does this just fine). On sunny days, I use a polarizing lens with a hood. I have a total of 3 extra batteries with one almost always charging.Feedback
Knowing your surroundings is so important. In this picture, the sun was at its zenith for the day (up North the sun is low on the horizon). I like to look for contrasting colors to make the photos come alive. In this area, the trees were not as dense so it allowed for the sun to shine through. Keeping your eyes open for a great location once the conditions are right is so helpful if you are in a location for a while. This was a great scene but when I saw the road that had not been driven on it provided for a secondary focal point to add to the picture. Having a secondary point of interest is not always a bad idea and provides more attraction. I do watch for rule of thirds but consider it " more of a guideline than an actual rule" as pirate Jack Sparrow would say. It helps me compose a shot and I put the 9 squares on my viewfinder so I keep it in mind. I do break to rule when something creative occurs. I try to think what is unique about a shot then find a way to bring that aspect out in the photo. In this shot it was the fairyland hoar frost on the trees, but it could have been the snow weighing down a bush, the outline of the castle at sunset or the spectrum of colors of objects in front of you. I personally like to leave the man made things out of a shot of nature. I will usually avoid fences, buildings and power poles I do realize I can photoshop them out but I need to be happy with the picture first. I often take a minute to compose the shot and just do not always randomly take a picture if it all possible. This takes patience but better pictures later. I do try to get a picture from a different perspective. I love a variable angle viewfinder (sure beats laying on ground to get pictures of the Acropolis). I will often try to get down low for the shot so it is not always at eye height. It is easy to give the picture interest and a second look since it is familiar to the view but a little different. Likewise, lifting the camera up high will often avoid crowds in the photo at tourist destinations. Talk with other people with a love for photography. You can learn so much from their ideas and suggestions. Their feedback helps so much in this way to be a better photographer. This is how come ViewBug is so helpful. I will also go out taking shots with better photographers and listen plus ask questions. Why are you including that in your photo? What is that neutral density filter and why would you want to make it more dark in this situation? Most people are glad to share tips with you when they know you are interested. Have a patient, loving and supportive wife. My wife now knows that it will take a while to compose a shot so she will find distraction for her while I take photos. She will now say how about I meet you back here in half an hour. Even better this year she took some pretty good photos using her camera phone. She is supportive since she will give me the freedom to take sunrise photos while she sleeps in ;) It helps to talk about your photography likes before going on a trip with others. Have some fun, take some photos just to see how they turn out. It will get the creative juices flowing for the next time.
