Standard Proxy / With Repost

Is a crop on the lower end in order here? The water leading out at the bottom looks to be drawing too much attention away from the falls to me... but I'd hate to lose that small tree in the center.
I'm probably just over-analizing what should be left alone. Hmmm, maybe just a bit more contrast?

I'd leave it full-frame as is. I like it!

Thanks Ned. I came to the same conclusion after looking away for a bit then coming back. I would've liked to explored some closer views but the day was growing late and this falls will still be here on my next trip through.

This is a very pretty falls, Larry. The silky effect looks good here. Love long cascades which break over rocks in just certain little places like this one does. Love it just as is. Even the trees have a lacey, wispy look!

The composition is fine, the stream flowing away from the falls doesn't really detract at all. However it looks like you were overly aggressive in recovering blown highlights in the falls where there don't really appear to have been blown highlights. Bring up the lights enough so the water in the falls doesn't look muddy and the image will probably have better focus and flow.

Leave it--its great. The pine coming in from the bottom center would be distracting if only the top was showing. I like this a lot as is.
JG

Larry, it's a beautiful composition and has great flow to the water, but I must agree with Bryan that the water tone doesn't look right. It's too dark on my monitor. Bring up the brightness and I think you have a real winner.

Most photographers have a great fear of blown highlights. It's true that you loose detail. However, I believe the trick is to identify the specular hightlights which are blown anyway and then adjust tone accordingly. Darker forest scenes with a bright waterfall really push the limits of dynamic range for most cameras. It's always an exericise in choices, do I have a few specular highlights or do I loose the shadows to potential noise and muddy color. A couple of "small" blown specular highlights in an image, especially of a waterfall, isn't a deal breaker in my mind. Just my two cents worth.

I really like this but agree with Bryan on the water cast. Maybe you could play with this in camera raw to work on the midtones.

I agree with the comments.... this should help.

hmmm... I don't know. Larry, no offense of course, but the color in both versions looks pretty whacked out. IMHO it still looks like you've over played the Highlight and Shadow adjustments. I like the comp and I think it's worth working but I think you should go back to the original and work it anew.

I dig the comp on this!!! I don't dig the blown hilights on the 1st image nor the even more blown hilights on the second one. Don't fret Larry, we're all learning as we go along here. Would you mind posting the capture details?

I agree with Mark. I like where you headed on the adjustments, but think it's just a bit too far. The composition is perfect, I love the way the vegetation frames the lace of the waterfall with the stream leading out of the frame.