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Lower Falls
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Lower Falls

by Pat Sampson

Gallery: LandscapePosted December 3, 20141,501 views13 comments
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, Yellowstone National Park, WY

We took one day on our trip to the Tetons and made a dash through Yellowstone and back to Jackson. This is one of the few images I kept. While I felt like there was an image almost any direction I looked in the Tetons, I just didn't seem to connect with the Yellowstone. I hope to get a chance to try it again at some point.

Nikon D800
Zeiss 100 mm macro
LR, PS, TK's actions

Comments and suggestions welcome.

pat

Comments

13 comments
Comment posted by Ryan Shain on December 3, 2014 at 8:34 PM
Pat,

I too feel a stronger spiritual connection with The Tetons. There is something primal with the Tetons that stirs the inner spirit, and moves our entity's to a different dimension.

I do enjoy this fine capture of Yellowstone. The framing is put together nicely with the diagonals moving you along to the vertical falls, and the depth is great. The texture and color of the rock wall on the right is fascinating It could almost be a study in photography on it's own.

Very nicely captured Pat
Registered on February 20, 2007, 226 Posts, 4571 Comments
Comment posted by Alberto Patiño on December 3, 2014 at 10:18 PM
Well it is a gorgeous image nonetheless!! The light and clarity on the falls are just perfect!
Registered on December 2, 2014, 278 Posts, 1736 Comments
Comment posted by Igor Doncov on December 3, 2014 at 10:57 PM
What incredible sharpness, that's particularly evident in the larger photo. Don't know if this is due to the D800 or the TK actions or both.

This is a great composition but I see another one - a horizontal of the bottom 40% of this image.

Really well done, and the colors are not overstated. You had some great light. Thanks for sharing.
Registered on November 22, 2014, 189 Posts, 2733 Comments
Comment posted by gary phillips on December 4, 2014 at 12:29 AM
Love the image, Pat. Hard to get a bad one from here. Not sure how you managed a quick dash thru Yellowstone. Sooo many people. Lived in the Tetons for 30 years, they are awesome.
Registered on October 24, 2013, 185 Posts, 4136 Comments
Comment posted by Gary Minish on December 4, 2014 at 12:43 AM
This is one of the best captures of these falls that I've ever seen, Pat! The large version is absolutely necessary because it puts you right there and gives you so much more to look at! The exposure is perfect (not blowing out the highlights in the falls) and the colors are natural. I don't know how you could have done the composition any better either. The only thing I would do if it were mine would be to hold the brightness while bumping the contrast about 10%. It's a little bit flat and the contrast will really make it pop and look much more 3D. Excellent photo! :toast: :toast:
Registered on February 4, 2006, 625 Posts, 3583 Comments
Comment posted by Pat Sampson on December 4, 2014 at 6:17 AM
Thank you all for the comments.

Igor,
I've already cropped about 30 percent of this away. I'd like to preserve the aspect ratio if possible and I'm hesitant to crop much more of it for fear of bringing out too much noise.

Gary Phillips,
"Dash" was probably the wrong choice of words. It was somewhat crowded but nothing like I was expecting really. It was intermittently raining and cloudy on a week day and I think that kept some folks away.

Gary Minish,
There was a slight mist and haze and I was trying to keep the contrast fairly flat to preserve that. I did have the image sharper but I thought I lost some mood so brought the contrast back down. I appreciate the suggestion.

pat

Registered on May 19, 2007, 953 Posts, 15989 Comments
Comment posted by Nick Bristol on December 4, 2014 at 9:37 AM
Pat, This is just amazing to look at...I love it! Looking at the large version is really quite impressive and quite a treat as well. I think you made a good choice with the shutter speed which adds to the power of the falls. I can keep looking at this for a long while. Beautiful work! :toast:

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI
Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments
Comment posted by Ed Lowe on December 4, 2014 at 7:56 PM
The raw power and the beauty of the Yellowstone River is self evident in this beautiful image, Pat. I really love all the wonderful details in the large version. Keeps me looking.

Ed
Registered on February 7, 2004, 414 Posts, 7115 Comments
Comment posted by Bill Fach on December 4, 2014 at 10:36 PM
Pat: I love the Tetons and Yellowstone but they are so different. The mountains are THE story in the Tetons and everything plays off of them while Yellowstone's most dynamic subjects are the waterfalls and of course the wildlife. The thermal features are nice but I always gravitate to the rivers when we visit. The only other area where I've found landscape comps that please me is the Lamar Valley, especially in the fall.

Classic comp of the falls and a marvelous capture. I especially like your choice of shutter speed. Powerful falls like this don't work for me all silky and soft. You were also lucky that no one was on the observation platform above the falls. The only time that ever happened for me was during a June visit when sunrise was about 5:00 AM. Not much competition for spots that early :wink:. >=))>
Registered on November 1, 2003, 1805 Posts, 26981 Comments
Comment posted by Mark Seaver on December 5, 2014 at 9:03 AM
A classic view of Lower Falls where what looks like a light/moderate overcast lets the details in the shadows show well. In general, I find that most landscape images in Yellowstone require patience and detailed knowledge of the area. As I recall, when you made this trek, I wanted to join you on the North side of the park, but couldn't.
Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments
Comment posted by Pat Sampson on December 6, 2014 at 2:50 PM
Thanks all for the comments/suggestions.

Mark,
This was the day that Terri and I started before sunrise at the oxbox and then just kept driving another ten miles or so north until we ended up at the NE entrance to Yellowstone. It was sort of like eating peanuts. Just wanted to keep seeing what was over the next hill or mountain, as the case may be. It was fun though even if I got practically no keepers.

pat
Registered on May 19, 2007, 953 Posts, 15989 Comments
Comment posted by Jeff Bushnell on December 6, 2014 at 3:17 PM
Beautiful image. Love it when viewed in the large version. Have been to the place you shot from and it is very impressive.
Registered on April 3, 2011, 20 Posts, 122 Comments
Comment posted by Preston Birdwell on December 6, 2014 at 7:20 PM
This one of the nicest images of The Falls I've seen. The light is near perfect, and you did a great job capitalizing on it. The color and details look great, and...don't crop it.

Well done, Pat.

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