Reflect for a .. +alternate

Lon,
I really like it as is, I think they just get confusing when they get flipped haha. Colors and textures look good, and I like the grass at the top. Nice work!
-Cam

Very nice. As displayed I would leave the bank to anchor it a little but if you flip it I would crop it out and let it go with that mystical feeling.

Gorgeous light and reflection Lon! I think you just inspired me for my next post from Scotland. I love the abstract qualities of light and might be tempted to loose the upper grass "realistic" portion. .... but that is me. It does work as a good anchor but tends to complicate the dreamy look.

I like the orientation as is. The brightness looks real, except that we've become so accustomed to lightened reflections that this looks dark. Lighter grass on upper edge is useful I think in creating the proper lightness context.

Lon,I very much like this as is. The bank and grass across the top works great with the light it has. I don't think this image would work nearly as well without it. The reflection and textured water looks wonderful.

Nick Bristol
Lone rock, WI

This is truly beautiful, Lon. The lines of the dark tree trunks and the wonderful palette of color in the reflection really makes this a joy to view. The detail in the surface of the water I find quite amazing; another layer of design to a superb composition. I prefer your image as presented (not a real fan of the 'flipped' reflection anyway) and with the far bank grounding the image. A real stunning image in my opinion.
Was curious if you tilted the lens to place the plane of sharp focus on the river surface or somewhere in between? The surface details are just so remarkable that I was wondering, given the small aperture used. Thanks.

I really like the reflection, but the far shore is not really working for me. I would prefer it cropped, making it more of a reflection abstract.

Lon - I prefer this orientation. The reflection is quite beautiful and I can see whey you were attracted towards. Part of me want just the reflection, the other part does like the slice of reality at the top. If including the shore line, I might be tempted to include more of it. I think it could help balance the image more. Though, not know what is above, maybe this would not be a good option. Looks like it would have been some of the trees.

Beautiful reflections. I like the strip of land at the top for establishing context although as you indicate it's not always the right answer. For this shot, I think the blue corners add a lot to the composition. Yes, you could also crop the shore (and maybe even the clear reflections) and rotate for another lovely take on the scene. That's what artistic license is all about.

Thanks for the comments so far folks. I appreciate it.

Vance, great question and thanks for asking. Yes, I used tilt to get the surface of the water in sharp focus. Come to think of it, not sure why I went small at f/45 considering the water blurred the trees and background(El Capitan) and so therefore depth wasn't going to buy me anything. Still boggles me though about reflections and focus, considering the distance to the subject is the real distance, not what you see being reflected. Anyway.... I'm also surprised the texture and detail on the water's surface at 2 seconds.

Just for comparision, here is a flipped, flopped and cropped version. Certainly makes this more abstract. Perhaps I have two images out of this one. I also cropped just the grass, but the more clear reflections still grounded it in reality and thought they were distracting, so I cropped a little more.

To each our own I guess - but any preference?

Thanks!

Lon,

The thumbnail caught my eye immediately. I really like the reflection itself and not the sharp grass so much. however I am not so sure about the repost. I understand the crop choice you mad, I think I would have made the same choice, but in it, something is lost even if I did not like it. It is still eye catching and differing from other blurs / reflections, this one imparts a sense of mystery without looking contrived or intentional - if that makes any sense.

Hey Lon, thanks for the info on your use of tilt. Can be a real challenge with these reflections, especially when the reflection is sharp, at least for me.
I appreciate your repost, and could see working with contrast and sats to really abstract the abstract, but still prefer the original which I think is gorgeous.

This is gorgeous and interesting to me. I like seeing a little of the river's edge...it anchors the otherwise liquid feel of the image.
Love the dark tree trunks and impressionistic feel of this. I wouldn't have known it was Yosemite if you hadn't said so, but that makes it even better!

I think if you cropped the shoreline you would have to take out to much at the base of the trees in the reflection. Looks great as is Lon. Great job!

Exceptional! I love the nuances of movement in the water and all the color. The strip of land is nice as a reference point. But considering the abstract nature of the reflection scene, the land isn't necessarily necessary… Just a suggestion. Narrowing the strip by about half seems to help the abstraction, though. Just thinking out loud, Lon, because this is really amazing just as it is.

This is simply delightful, Lon. The reflection tells the story so well and I love the inclusion of the tiny strip of land at the top.

I love these types of shots and this is a beauty Lon. I like the strong shape of the tree trunks, and the small amount of land at the top of the images tethers me to reality. I like that a lot about the image. I think the little rock in the stream breaks the reflection a bit, but that's a minor nit. Wonderful shot. I like the complete abstract as well, but prefer your original.

I love the softness in the reflection of the water. Beautiful reflection