Thin Ice

Ausable River, Adirondacks, NY. Below the Lake Placid ski jumps, the Ausable becomes more of a meadow stream, slowing to a meander through meadows and boreal forest. Walking the woods parallel to the river proved challenging in trying to find shooting vantage points...the ice near the banks was untrustworthy as the day was coming to an end, and often there was too much foliage in the way--even in winter-- for an unobstructed view. The stretch of water disappearing into the ice attests to recent temperatures, an unusually mild winter in New York's Adirondacks. Sometimes the range of shadow exposure to brightness exposure overwhelms the camera. Such was the case with this scene, that if I exposed for the snow the shadows went black, and for the shadows, the snow became a meaningless white glare. Thus I took 5 exposures, and used three, blending the exposures in a software program called Photomatix. Through a series of sliders one can even out the shadows and brightness...hopefully. That is, it doesn't always come out as you want. So it is a tool, sometimes not the right tool. Adjustments range from realistic to a look like a painting; I adjust to where I like it...this is artist discretion. I tend to lean towards realism, but what is the artist doing if not making you feel his own impression? If you feel this is "cheating", consider that even with film and darkroom print making, the greats "burned and dodged" the prints during the film to paper process to brighten those shadows or darken those highlights. Photography to art is always manipulation.

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Filename: Thin Ice_RP1445212_Feb_312_Feb_512.jpg
Image Size: 2048x1363 / 3.9MB; ADK Adirondack Mountains Adirondack State Park Adirondacks Ausable Ausable River HDR NY New York landscape nature snowscape winter
Contained in galleries: More Adirondacks

Ausable River, Adirondacks, NY. Below the Lake Placid ski jumps, the Ausable becomes more of a meadow stream, slowing to a meander through meadows and boreal forest. Walking the woods parallel to the river proved challenging in trying to find shooting vantage points...the ice near the banks was untrustworthy as the day was coming to an end, and often there was too much foliage in the way--even in winter-- for an unobstructed view. The stretch of water disappearing into the ice attests to recent temperatures, an unusually mild winter in New York's Adirondacks. Sometimes the range of shadow exposure to brightness exposure overwhelms the camera. Such was the case with this scene, that if I exposed for the snow the shadows went black, and for the shadows, the snow became a meaningless white glare. Thus I took 5 exposures, and used three, blending the exposures in a software program called Photomatix. Through a series of sliders one can even out the shadows and brightness...hopefully. That is, it doesn't always come out as you want. So it is a tool, sometimes not the right tool. Adjustments range from realistic to a look like a painting; I adjust to where I like it...this is artist discretion. I tend to lean towards realism, but what is the artist doing if not making you feel his own impression? If you feel this is "cheating", consider that even with film and darkroom print making, the greats "burned and dodged" the prints during the film to paper process to brighten those shadows or darken those highlights. Photography to art is always manipulation.