Rainbow Falls

Gallery: LandscapePosted August 30, 2011287 views6 comments

Another waterfall from Watkin's Glen in Upstate NY. This is waterfall is called rainbow falls because the trickling stream of water creates a rainbow when the late afternoon sun hits it. Of course I never got to experience that late afternoon sun because Irene was moving in, but I still liked the falls. Once again I wanted to capture the drama of the scene, not necessarily all the shadow detail, so I'm sure some will wish it had that detail, but thats not what I was going for. Does it work as is? Or is the reason people always have shadow detail because an image is lacking without it? Thanks in advance for your comments and critiques!
-Cam

Tech Specs:
Canon EOS 7D
Canon EF 18-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS
ISO 100
79mm
f/16
.8 sec
-1 EV

Comments

6 comments

Comment posted by Gary McGhee on August 30, 2011 at 12:31 PM

Love the comp Cam and the falling water looks very nice. I personally don't think shadow detail is essential but I think a bit more detail would help this shot. It looks like a very tricky shot to expose for.

Gary.

Registered on April 15, 2010, 142 Posts, 2416 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on August 30, 2011 at 1:07 PM

This works very nicely for me. Extreme shadow detail is somewhat of a new thing due to HDR, double/triple processing, etc. I would much rather have an image such as this 95% of the time versus an HDR (which much of the time is done poorly), or double/triple processed unless they have been very carefully processed. Just my opinion and take on the subject, of course - I'm sure many/most may disagree. I like the water flow here and the nice contrast. Well done.

The only negative reaction I have is with your copyright - I do find that disrupts an otherwise beautiful image. It just doesn't seem to blend in nicely.

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

Comment posted by Preston Birdwell on August 30, 2011 at 7:26 PM

Cam, I appreciate the concept here, but there is just too much empty black, and some of the high values are blown out. I do like the texture of the falling water.

--P

Registered on November 1, 2003, 471 Posts, 5188 Comments

Comment posted by Raymond Klassen on August 30, 2011 at 8:08 PM

There are some neat lines in here. Good job on your composition. I also don't like too much HDR, at least not when it's overdone, but there is a bit too much contrast for my liking here.

Registered on November 30, 2008, 114 Posts, 790 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on August 30, 2011 at 10:01 PM

I like the layers of light and way the indentation in the back plays tricks with my mind. The left side could almost be it's own picture. "Cam Held Photography" sticker is a bit obtrusive.

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

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on August 31, 2011 at 12:11 AM

Cam,

What really gets my attention here is the straight drop and the lines of the water falling. The greenery highlights are separated quite a bit by the darkness and I think pulls the viewer away from the main attraction of the falls. For me, shadow detail is only important when the detail should add value to the image. Here, I understand what you're going for and detail in the shadows is not necessarily important. However, it leads to my second consideration with shadows and that's space and balance. As Preston eludes to, I think the amount of black space somewhat takes over in terms of space and balance and for me, that's what doesn't help - not the lack of detail.

Upon further review looking at the larger version, I think it shows quite a bit better than the smaller one. The little bit of extra detail in the large version helps with the dark space and balance. If that all makes sense.

I see and appreciate what you're seeking and it's just almost there. Oh, agree with Tony - the watermark feels more like a Google add....

Lon

Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments