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Maelstrom
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Maelstrom

by Bill Fach

Gallery: LandscapePosted October 21, 2016246 views11 comments
Sony A77II
Sony 70-400G @ 85mm, CPL
ISO 100, 1/6 @ f16
Sunwapta Falls, Icefields Parkway

Early on our trip we had a bunch of cloudy days which made for some good waterfall opportunities. Sunwapta was one of our favorites. I thought about cloning out the fallen tree but thought better of it as I think it helps convey the power of the river. All comments welcome. >=))>

Comments

11 comments
Comment posted by Mark Seaver on October 21, 2016 at 10:01 AM
I like the tree, as well as the touches of green in the water, and how your ss provides a good sense of the motion without washing out the details completely.
Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments
Comment posted by Craig Moreau on October 21, 2016 at 1:37 PM
Bill, I like the tree from a story-telling perspective, but as a graphic element in the photo, it interrupts the flow of the image a bit.
Whether you clone or not, it's a great image. Good shutter speed, and the colors are great. I might like to see a little more on the left, there's a few places where I'd like to see just a little more of the rocks (the 3rd - 5th bumps up from the bottom, if that makes sense).
Registered on April 21, 2015, 64 Posts, 584 Comments
Comment posted by gary phillips on October 21, 2016 at 5:19 PM
Very dynamic image, Bill.  I like the SS and the placement of the rock in the main flow being slightly off center.  I'm on the fence about the tree, but very nice with or without it.
Registered on October 24, 2013, 185 Posts, 4136 Comments
Comment posted by Harley Goldman on October 21, 2016 at 5:30 PM
Love the flow and dynamic of the image. The tree is not working for me. Every time I look at the image, my eye immediately glues onto the tree. Overall, a beautiful scene. 
Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments
Comment posted by scott lanz on October 21, 2016 at 6:48 PM
I like both the light and the ss, Bill. You retained nice color, detail, and a sense of motion/energy in the water. The center rock is a good focal point. 
Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments
Comment posted by Vance Gese on October 21, 2016 at 7:39 PM
Love the textures and color in the water, Bill, and the warm tones in the rocks, that contrast so nicely with the cooler tones in the water.  Go back and forth about the fallen tree; provides context yet being so horizontal across the top of the image it becomes a bit static to me, detracting from the flow of the water.  On further thought I think I would keep it as it does help achieve what you intended, conveying the power of these falls.
Registered on November 13, 2008, 298 Posts, 6629 Comments
Comment posted by Igor Doncov on October 21, 2016 at 7:55 PM
I do believe that the tree is a problem because all the visual elements in this image are going up and down with the vertical frame and the tree is going side to side. If you crop off some from the bottom to make this more like a square frame it starts to look more balanced to my eye. 
Registered on November 22, 2014, 189 Posts, 2733 Comments
Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on October 21, 2016 at 11:02 PM
Looks like a beautiful place and the framing is good here. But that tree is quite distracting.  Good opportunity to experiment with content aware fill.
Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments
Comment posted by Stephen Stanton on October 22, 2016 at 2:16 AM
A very strong image, really enjoy the rock so boldly placed.  The incongruity of the log is impactful and for me is what would make  this falls image standout from others.A solid vote to keep it.  
Registered on March 1, 2015, 54 Posts, 453 Comments
Comment posted by Patricia Brundage on October 22, 2016 at 7:40 AM
Image shows the power of the waterfall at Sunwapta.  Brings back many happy memories of a wonderful trip years ago.  Like your choice of shutter speed to emphasize the water's flow and the composition as well, with the branch included.  You should proudly print and frame this one.
Registered on March 23, 2006, 1111 Posts, 6531 Comments
Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on October 22, 2016 at 8:02 AM
Beautiful image, Bill. The frothy water and rocks are perfectly placed. I like the branch also, but it really draws my wye away from the main elements, so I'd personally clone it out.
Sounds like a great trip!
Sandy
Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments