Falls Looking for a Name + REPOST

Gallery: LandscapePosted May 5, 2011266 views11 comments

PLEASE SEE REPOST BELOW. Something went wrong when I converted this, and I noticed too late that the posted version looks "overcooked." Is the repost below any better??? THANKS!

Snow melt combined with heavy rains are bringing some bad flooding to the Adirondacks, but also bringing a new look to small waterfalls that are normally just trickles. This one does not have a name, so I am calling it "Cat-Sac Falls" for now, because it flows off Cat Head Mountain into the Sacandaga River. Not the best-sounding name, so if you can think of something better, let me know.

I shot this after sundown in the shadow of the mountain. It was so dark, my shutter speed is a lot slower than I usually like, even with no filters at ISO 200. I included the sky coming through the trees -- flare and all -- because I like the way it emphasizes the altitude of the cascades coming from the mountian.

Canon 50D
Sigma 17-70
2 sec. @ f/11

Comments

11 comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on May 5, 2011 at 9:12 PM

When I saw the thumbnail Wayne, I thought "Staircase". I love the ghostly flow of the water you have captured. I might be inclined to crop the sky but that is a personal preference and not a critique. I think the lower right corner and greens on the right add a lotto the scene.

Registered on January 4, 2009, 1015 Posts, 13229 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Schrayer on May 5, 2011 at 9:44 PM

I like the perspective here and the mosses add some nice color to the scene. I think the slower shutter speed works here. This is a beautiful scene and it looks like a fun place to explore with unlimited compositions. Great work!!

Registered on May 28, 2004, 114 Posts, 2890 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Jones on May 5, 2011 at 10:05 PM

Thanks Eva and Brian.
EVA -- "Staircase" is very appropriate -- Thanks! I'll probably include that in the new name.
BRIAN -- Yes, MANY possibilities for compositions. It was getting dark when I got there, and I still got four interesting viewpoints.

REPOST: After I posted this, it looked kind of funky-overprocessed or something, so here's one that I hope is more like the one I started with. BETTER?

Registered on April 18, 2007, 953 Posts, 6435 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on May 5, 2011 at 10:07 PM

What a lovely place to explore. The waterfall is very nice and I think the slow shutter speed works very well here. The flair is barely noticeable...I'd probably have missed it if you hadn't of pointed it out.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Zack Clothier on May 6, 2011 at 1:11 AM

Very nice Wayne, I like the stairstep effect here and the texture in that large boulder at the bottom. I thought the trail to Cat Head was closed by the landowner?

Registered on January 28, 2010, 343 Posts, 2257 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on May 6, 2011 at 10:36 AM

Beautiful little falls Wayne. Nicely composed and the chosen shutter speed looks great. I like the openess of the woods area too, looks like a great place to wander. Actually, on my uncalibrated work monitor the original and repost look basically identical, except a very slight saturation boost in the original. I'm curious though, why the hesitance over longer shutter speeds?

Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Jones on May 6, 2011 at 11:31 AM

ZACK: Yes the trail is still closed, but who need trails?

This is near the bottom of the hill, just off River Road on the W. side of the Sacandaga, N. of Northville. Most of the year, there is practically no water there.

BILL: I rarely shoot longer than 1 sec. (usually 1/2 sec. or faster if I am fairly close to water flowing over rocks, because I just have this "realism" thing. I think water should look like water instead of milk. (I have never shot opaque, white water.)

Registered on April 18, 2007, 953 Posts, 6435 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on May 6, 2011 at 2:33 PM

Very nice, Wayne. This looks like a wonderful place. I think I would be going back here pretty often if I could. I can't really see any difference in the two images. That is probably just me. Cheers.

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by Walt Sterneman on May 6, 2011 at 6:08 PM

This is a beautiful shot Wayne and I love the shutter speed. I mostly like the comp. though. Great angle looking up at them. Well done!

Registered on March 24, 2010, 73 Posts, 1268 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on May 6, 2011 at 8:36 PM

You got it, Wayne--unless theres a good excuse, water should not look like milk, smoke, or dandelions!

Both versions look good to me--they look pretty much identical but not overcooked. Nice falls and perspecive. I might clone out the one twig over the water on the bottom.

Registered on September 15, 2005, 836 Posts, 17099 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on May 7, 2011 at 12:20 PM

Nice capture all around. I actually like the first one best.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments