Long exposure snow scene - warm or cold?

[Peely22]

Following some strong critique (from a group in Flickr) I've adjusted my pic. Does it work for you?
The original was hit hard in that "it was too blue", "too dark", "snow too blue", "lack of brightness losing the left foreground" etc.
Let me know whether you prefer the blue/cold version, or the warm more.


or the newer warmer


Camera: Nikon D90
Exposure: 30
Aperture: f/25.0
Focal Length: 22 mm
Focal Length: 22.4 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: No Flash


one critic said the subject wasn't very interesting, which has left me astounded!

[Jamie Hibbert]

I prefer the newer, warmer version. It show greater tonal depth and raises positive emotions in me!!

Whoever said they thought it was dull must be very talanted indeed. It's a lovely subject and well captured.

[brasil0069]

The newer is the I like it has more detail and deeper tones.

Mike

[freezeframe03]

I too am in favor of the newer warmer version. It just looks and feels more real.

[sunvalley23]

What is that line? Critics hate themselves? Don't take it too personally - though I know it's hard to hear those things.

I like them both. The first one has those great blues that are so beautiful to see. It doesn't not capture the feeling of the image quite so well as the second one, however. I think it would depend on what you are trying to convey. If it was for a commercial purpose, I believe the second one would be the better shot. For emotion, the second. Which did you like best?

[EasternSierra]

I think your second shot is the better of the two.

If you really wanted to improve the shot, I would try to make more of the framing of the branxches coming in from the sides. Evidently you have some foliage and trees on your side of the pond to work with. Create some interest. Give me a place to stand within the frame, and something to catch my eye and lead me into the shot.

It's a pretty little village, and it's a good exposure. You just need to work on your composition to grab the viewer's eye, lead them around the page, and keep them interested. The village and water alone isn't enough to accomplish this...

I understand why someone called it "boring". There is a lot to look at, to be certain, but the composition is lacking interest and intrigue. The subject matter is excellent. Now you need to compose it in a way that makes it more intriguing to an unbiased observer...

[barabe]

I am going to go against all the otrer critiques. A winter evening is supposed to be cold so the emotion conveyed with the deeper blue of the first shot to me is more what i see when i look out my window at the end of the day. The snow is just one big reflector so if the night is falling then the snow will show some darker blue notes. People thinking otherwise have never lived in or looked at snow at different times of day. I would agree that snow would have to be whie on a mid day shot with the sun shining but this is an night shot and a very nice one too.

[Dennismc]

I prefer the original.

The deep dark colors seem better to me, the reflections in the water seem deeper. I can picture sitting next to a warm fire looking out at this scene, feeling the warmth of the fire while a slight chill sweeps the spine.

[EasternSierra]

Originally Posted by barabe

I am going to go against all the otrer critiques. A winter evening is supposed to be cold so the emotion conveyed with the deeper blue of the first shot to me is more what i see when i look out my window at the end of the day. The snow is just one big reflector so if the night is falling then the snow will show some darker blue notes. People thinking otherwise have never lived in or looked at snow at different times of day. I would agree that snow would have to be whie on a mid day shot with the sun shining but this is an night shot and a very nice one too.

This is true, but you need to find balance in the exposure.

In the first one, there is no detail ion the shadows. I suspect that the brightness/contrast tool was used to bring down the brightness and boost the contrast, which does an incredible job of introducing "pop" and seperation in the image, but it destroys details in the shadows.

The second version isn't "perfect", but shows much more detail, which is what is oing to keep the eyes moving around the photo.

In my humble opinion, a re-re-process is in order. I would recommend yusing the curves tool to drop the shadows just a touch deeper, brighten your highlights just a bit, and increase the overall contrast without depleting the detail in the shadows.

Brightness/contrast is a great tool for very minor adjustments. But in order to get balance between contrast and detail in a shot like this, curves will work better by giving you more finite control over the levels of each of the various tones.

Of the two images posted, I think the one with more details gives the viewer a more defined sense of the village. The contrast is more shocking in the first one and gives the image that "WOW" factor...but it doesn't provide enough detail to keep the viewer interested beyond the initial glimpse. Before I can finish saying my "wow" from the contrast...I'm bored by the lack of detail and interest.

Anyhow...just my opinion...and different opinions are what critiques are all about, so...there you go!

[EasternSierra]

If this is a problem, I will remove it. Please let me know...

I took the second version of the image, and processed it for contrast and detail balance using the curves tool. I also took a screen shot of my panel while working the image, so the positions can be viewed...

I resized the images, so the resolution is lower. But it is a very simple adjustment, and you can see the difference it makes by creating that "WOW" contrast, yet maintaining detail into the shadows...

[edited to add]OK...attachments don't work very well. I'm gonna host these on my own server...[/edit]