"Framed" & Traces

[RobReuthal]

Here a tree were framed from another tree  and a trace in snow , my opinion is that "Winterimages" like these looks better in B&W .

[LoisWakeman]

Here a tree were framed from another tree  and a trace in snow , my opinion is that "Winterimages" like these looks better in B&W .

Both very pleasing to look at Rob: but I think they look good in B/W because they are good B/W material, not because of the winter! (Snow does simplify things and throw shapes into contrast, it's true  - but so do other conditions.) The only thing that disturbs me a little bit is the odd bokeh(?) on the reeds at the right in #2: almost like a double exposure; perhaps a gust of wind?

[RobReuthal]

Hi, thank you, the "odd" bokeh is an especially kind of the Tamron AF 90 Macro Lens that I´ve used for this shots, sometimes it reminds me at a "Mirror Lens" with his bokeh  

[RSL]

Rob, As I look at #1 it gradually grows on me, but only to about the age of the "terrible twos." I'm not quite sure what I find missing. I try to visualize it with much greater depth of field so that the background comes into focus, but then it gets too busy. Nice try, but to me it doesn't quite make it. On #2 I have the same problem Lois has with the bokeh. I think what I'd have tried with #2 is enough depth of field to bring out the background grasses and eliminate bokeh altogether -- assuming the wind wasn't blowing. Problem with that approach is, I don't know what was farther back. If more depth brought out something other than snow behind those more distant grasses that approach would bomb.