November Frost

[Andy]

Hey Carol, the May Pond shot is really nice. The light (not surprisingly) is what it is all about.

I would consider cropping out most of the water in the foreground. I think the "real" photo is those frost covered trees and the sun lighting them. Maybe just enough of the water to "hint" that is is a shot across the pond?

[Andy]

I would probably crop it even more

[autzig]

I like the first crop best. I agree with Andy's comment that there was too much pond. I like the first crop because that water looks like it could be ice and that goes perfectly with the frost on the trees.

One other thought. If the subject of the photo is the frost, nobody should have to guess at that. The first photo with the horses isn't about the frost. The other photo may have been about the frost, but there was nothing special about the light and their was nothing to focus on. The lighting at May Pond is terrific and that's what makes the shot, in my humble opinion.

We received 10 inches of snow at my house in Minneapolis on Saturday. I would have liked to get my camera out as the snow was heavy and wet and trees were leaning over. The roads were so bad that I didn't even consider it.

[Andy]

Well -- contrarian that I am, I will go half way with you -- I like the first crop better than the second. I would have cropped about 1/2 way between the first and second crop. I want enough water to show that it is water, but as a foreground element, I want it to compliment the subject but not try t "be" the subject. Its really a matter of proportion and it is also at the point where we are "picking at gnats." You have very good photographic "vision" and it may well be that your crop is just better, photographically than mine. I am just going by my "gut."