Information:
While many southern states are already enjoying springtime, winter in New York doesn't like to let go so easily. March and even April can be quite cold, and frosty mornings are commonplace. Here is yet another of many images created near the West Canada Creek in the month of March, for example.
In this example, I liked the way that the frost formed on the "hairy" branches of the sumacs and wanted to make an image that showed it well. In composing the image, I tried to avoid centering the main subject and creating vertical lines. As a result, I composed the photo so that the fruit was above the vertical centerline and the branches of the sumac were somewhat "skewed" in the frame. Also, I tried to limit the depth of field so that the branches and other background objects would not distract from the image. In the end, I decided to compromise on depth of field in order to keep the background sumac nearly in focus so that it could be used as a compositional element. For more information about the selective focus technique, see Tip #22 in the tips and tricks section.
For the Shutterbugs:
"Frosty Sumacs Near the West Canada Creek" was created with my Nikon F4 camera, and 55mm macro lens, Bogen 3021 tripod: f8 for 1/15s. Film - Fuji Velvia, ISO 50. No Filtration. Cable release to reduce vibrations and make exposure easier with mittens on.