Glacier NP Waterfall

Yeah ... I like the scene, but I think you definitely need to do some basic post processing ... shadow and highlight adjustments, contrast, saturation, etc.

I love the composition. In response to your question, on my monitor (not calibrated) it is a bit on the dark side. In Adobe Camera Raw, holding down the Alt key, you can slide the exposure a bit to the right without getting any blown-out highlights. Then you can bring up the Black up just a bit, again holding down the Alt key to make sure you don't lose detail in the shadow. And then you can introduce some Fill using that slider, and consider reducing saturation a bit while maintaining vibrance.

The result of all that is a different image, however, from the one you have created. I've been in situations like that reflected in your image and it has the right feel to me as it is. Because often times in the deep forest things are dark and you have this issue of keeping everything in in terms of dynamic range. If you shoot in raw you will have at least 12 or 14 bit depth to work with, and I think it's possible to do a three or four level HDR using a single RAW input with exposures adjusted to make the three or four input images.

But, again, I think your image has a certain feel to it that is good and true and it need not have to conform to some external, arbitrary standard of luminance, in my opinion. It is making a statement that makes me remember things as they were.

Finally, your use of extended exposure has created a very nice, feathery and soft feel in the waterfall. I think its initial diagonal direction is effective in bringing the eye into the center and I like how that is balanced by the bright green bush over on the right and the bright area of horizontal specular reflectance on the rock below that and just above the deep green pool.

Perhaps instead of lightening it all at once, just focus on the dark area next to the top of the falls? I do like the way this appears how it would have appeared in person. Besides it being a tad bit dark, I think this has a solid comp, great subject, and other things pushing it way past just an 'average' shot 'taken along a trail'. I really like being able to enjoy the bottom of the river...

Bruce, I really like your comp here and overall enjoy the darker mood of this, however, I could see doing some work to lighten the shadows some if you can work it out. I like this scene very much!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Bruce,

Overall, I don't think it's too dark, there's good detail throughout most of the scene - with the exception of the area immediately adjacent to the falls. That's all pretty dark, in fact no detail at all. Now I don't always want or need to see detail everywhere, but sometimes it is important. What's interesting is that I like the contrast an exposure of the forested area up top, but find the contrast too much in the rock and bottom part of the image.

Hard to say without having the raw file, but sounds like John has some good suggestions. Certainly worth looking in to. I think you have a great scene and very good composition.

Lon

Well! This is much nicer than the thumbnail led me to expect. I like the rich color and your composition. There's a bright outline around the shelf rock that's jutting into the torrent mid stream that I find a bit distracting but it's not a major nit. The fg creek bed is fascinating.

Certainly like the elements here. The water is a nice focal point. Could maybe see cropping about half the foliage up top and then balancing the light a bit by burning down some of the highlights in the rock and opening up the shadows.

A little dark, but nice.

I don't think it's too dark. Maybe reducing contrast here and there in the blacks might work. A beautiful scene, with nice colors.

Chris