Tutorial by Saša Krušnik
Published the 9th of January 2025
Canon 7D . Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 . f/7.1
'My Way' by Saša Krušnik
It all started with a simple assignment to make a photograph from a bird's-eye view. Taking the time to think about the task at hand, visualizing it and then seizing the opportunity when it presents itself is what turns a good idea into an award-winning image.
There is something so beautiful about experiencing the white, fresh, winter morning with new snow, glowing with peace and pure energy. Also glancing back as you walk through it, confirming that your prints are left behind, creates a sense of solitude and tranquility. The ephemeral quality of snow guarantees that these serene moments are short lived, though. Especially when the footprints of passersby cover your own, suddenly reminding you that you are not alone.It is quite a challenge to photograph those tracks because position and timing are of great importance. Not to mention the small amount of luck you also need to either capture a stranger in your frame and create a story, or to work with someone who is willing to cooperate and help with your ideas.
"I was also lucky because the white snow lightened the otherwise dark stairs, but the textures, patterns and details beneath the snow were still visible."
For a photo workshop in January, my assignment was to make a photo from a bird's-eye view. I had been tossing the idea around in my head to approach this task by standing on the balcony of our house that overlooks the snow-covered stairs below. This photo was made early in the morning, at 7:30 a.m., just before my children left for school. It was snowing outside and the light was favorable. At the doorstep the idea suddenly rushed to mind. I was also lucky because the white snow lightened the otherwise dark stairs, but the textures, patterns and details beneath the snow were still visible.The image was made in RAW format, and the ISO was set to 640 because of the low light conditions. The Canon 7D's settings included low speed continuous mode, 19-point auto selection AF (autofocus) and Al Servo mode.
"The challenge was in knowing that we only had one chance to get it right — we couldn't erase her footprints once they were set in the snow."
I explained my idea to my daughter, went up to the balcony and then instructed her how and where to move. The challenge was in knowing that we only had one chance to get it right — we couldn't erase her footprints once they were set in the snow. My daughter walked slowly and then turned around after my signal; I photographed her as she walked. Out of the twelve frames I took, the one with the best composition and most dynamic pose was chosen.I was basically satisfied with the result, but at first I didn't realize that this photo was special or had much merit. I showed it to my photography colleagues, and they were excited about it. Their reaction convinced me to enter the photo into the Ljubljana FIAP Photographic Salon, where I received a silver medal. I'm emotionally attached to this photo because my daughter is in it. It is also my first photo published on 1x.
The image was processed in Adobe Camera Raw 7.0, Photoshop and Nik Software's Silver Efex Pro 2 plugin.1) In Camera Raw, the histogram showed that the image was a bit underexposed, so I moved the Blacks slider to +48 and the Highlights slider to +36. I then exported the image to Photoshop.
2) In Photoshop, I used the Clone Stamp tool to remove a few distractions, such as the lamp in the bushes on the left side, some plants also on the left side and a few other minor spots.
3) The image was then exported to Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 plugin to perform the black and white conversion, which I almost always use to convert my images. I also applied the Overexposed (EV+1) filter to increase the exposure in a few specific areas, lightening the snow and some dark spots on the stairs.
4) Brightness was set to 12%, Contrast to 27% and Structure to 68%. These adjustments emphasized the details and patterns on the ground.
5) With the use of Control points, the bottom-left part of the image was corrected by decreasing Brightness to –22% and increasing Structure to 11%. Also the Contrast was increased to accentuate the darker parts of the snow. The same approach was applied to the upper edge of the photo. The last step in Silver Efex Pro 2 was to apply a subtle vignette to slightly darken all of the edges, drawing more attention to the person.
6) Back in Photoshop, I used the Crop tool to remove some of the top and left side of the image, creating a stronger composition.
7) In the end, I sharpened the photo using the Unsharp Mask filter (Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask) with the following settings: Amount 85%, Radius 1 pixel and Threshold 4 levels.
1) In the wintertime, it is useful to read the weather forecast and know when to expect the fresh snow.
2) It is also important to be at the location before the snow falls so you can take some test shots.
3) It's better to have someone to pose for you rather than wait for random people to show up.
I'm a mother of three, married and living in Slovenia. My professional work is connected with auditing, finances and accounting. A little later I had some free time and took a course to learn the basics of digital photography. Since then photography has been a way for me to create and to express myself. In 2013 I joined a group of photographers, under the supervision of Izador Gašperlin and Jure Kravanja, who helped me improve the quality of my photographs and changed my perception. In the past two months I have sent my photos to two photographic salons for the first time, and I received the FIAP silver medal.
