This is the followup image I mention in my first (and illegal, since I posted more than one image!) post here. It's a personal favorite, but I'd like some critical feedback on it. This is obviously taken downstream a bit from the earlier photos, with the emphasis on larger landscape -- the beautiful grove of trees on the left and the unusual curved break in the basalt on the right are what jumped out to me.
This was taken in very late May (possibly early June) last year, when there was plenty of water in the stream. I was up there with a few folks last weekend, and the flows right now are half, or even a third, of what you see here. IMO, this is one of those scenes that benefits from more water - I didn't bother to spend a lot of time here last weekend. As Darren pointed out in his earlier post of this falls, there is now a big log laying across the edge of the splash pool (and I noticed that it has a cut end when we were up there, so it probably resulted from trail clearing). It's much bigger than the photos suggest! It would take a small army to budge it... or November storms!
Some specific composition feedback that I'd appreciate on this image are whether the framing on the right works, and specifically, whether having the falls drop behind that group of alder is distracting. Any other feedback is welcome, as well -- I saved this web version after recalibrating my monitor, so hopefully it's an improvement on the earlier set.
I'm kind of on the fence re: the composition. I find myself wanting to see more of the falls yet your composition keeps the viewer wondering which can be a good thing. This looks just a tad dark on my monitor. Good choice of shutter speeds as I like the texture of the water in the FG.
I don't think you could have done any better with the composition Tom. The waterfall leads the eye to the bush, then the brightness of the stream on the right draws it down and around along the flowing water. The natural flow of the image is almost perfect, imo. I think the only thing that bugs me is the branch top right thats blowing in the breeze.
Thanks, Bryan. I might try cloning out the upper branch - it doesn't add anything to the image. The lower branch is a bit more problematic, but I might try cloning that out, too.
I'm of like mind on blurred foliage due to wind. It's normally really distracting, but I recall seeing a calendar or other significant publication where the photographer purposely left some ferns flapping around in the foregound of a Gorge waterfall shot! Bugged the heck out of me, but it was clearly done on purpose and was published, no less! I could only guess that the photographer saw the motion as part of the "story" of the waterfall. To me, it's a distraction from the motion of the water, itself. I've seen some fairly nice "motion" shots of balsamroot in the Gorge before, and in that instance, I can understand why you'd want to capture the motion.
Just got back from a second visit to Gorton Creek this weekend - light was much better today. I met another photographer heading out with youngster in tow, but was otherwise the only dude up there in the rain! Trying to channel some of the Adamus magic... sigh... that's an awfully high bar!
Hmmm...I haven't figured out how to post a second image (maybe a limitation for non-members?), but incorporated your suggestions on blurred foliage and flat greens on this reworked version. Thanks for your feedback!
Discussion
5 repliesThis was taken in very late May (possibly early June) last year, when there was plenty of water in the stream. I was up there with a few folks last weekend, and the flows right now are half, or even a third, of what you see here. IMO, this is one of those scenes that benefits from more water - I didn't bother to spend a lot of time here last weekend. As Darren pointed out in his earlier post of this falls, there is now a big log laying across the edge of the splash pool (and I noticed that it has a cut end when we were up there, so it probably resulted from trail clearing). It's much bigger than the photos suggest! It would take a small army to budge it... or November storms!
Some specific composition feedback that I'd appreciate on this image are whether the framing on the right works, and specifically, whether having the falls drop behind that group of alder is distracting. Any other feedback is welcome, as well -- I saved this web version after recalibrating my monitor, so hopefully it's an improvement on the earlier set.
Thanks in advance!
I'm of like mind on blurred foliage due to wind. It's normally really distracting, but I recall seeing a calendar or other significant publication where the photographer purposely left some ferns flapping around in the foregound of a Gorge waterfall shot! Bugged the heck out of me, but it was clearly done on purpose and was published, no less! I could only guess that the photographer saw the motion as part of the "story" of the waterfall. To me, it's a distraction from the motion of the water, itself. I've seen some fairly nice "motion" shots of balsamroot in the Gorge before, and in that instance, I can understand why you'd want to capture the motion.
Just got back from a second visit to Gorton Creek this weekend - light was much better today. I met another photographer heading out with youngster in tow, but was otherwise the only dude up there in the rain! Trying to channel some of the Adamus magic... sigh... that's an awfully high bar!
Tom
Tom