Behind the Grove

Shot this one back in April up in NCNP. Really liked this little glen and the falls were surprisingly impressive (didn't even know it was there before I visited). Curious for some input on my comp and cropping here. I know the highlights are blown and the URC is all whacked out (thanks to a bad Sigma 10-20 which has since been replaced). Thanks for looking.

This is a pretty neat spot, Bryan - just begging to be explored. Did you shoot this perspective in order to capture all the nuances of the stream? I'm sure you also moved in for several shots.... I'll bet they are all really nice...

It works for me, Bryan. I think your decision to center the background tree roughly in the middle of the falls was a good one - it clearly moves the falls behind the curtain of foliage, and keeps the focus on the foreground. The stream comp is nice, but I especially like the big cedar. For me, that's the main "story" of this image - a classic Cascade scene of cedars emerging from a clear stream.

Yeah, the trees steal the show here...and would do so even more if not for the highlight distractions. I think the comp looks pretty decent, given how busy and complicated the area is here.

The more I look at this shot the more I don't like how the stream leads out of the frame on the left, but this is still my favorite comp of the series. Definitely returning here this spring when the snow disappears to shoot again with a more honed eye.

Ned - I was focusing on the trees much more than the stream from this angle (this is a crop of about 1/2 of the original frame). I shot several others focusing on the stream, but as a result of the flooding in 2006 there was lots of scour and the rocks didn't have nearly as much moss on them as I'd have liked, so it didn't turn out to be all that great for stream-focused shots, but still really pretty.

The forest is the strong part here...I like it. If you could bring less white and a little more detail in the water, it would all balance a bit more I think.

I agree with the others, Bryan. The large trunks are the anchoring comp elements but the cascade highlights are a bit too hot and are a distraction, esp the two lower ones.

Beautiful setting and strong comp. I agree that if you can throttle back on the highlights, this would sing.

I agree the water is complimenting the trees nicely, as opposed to the more typical trees complimenting the water. If there was room there, I'd be tempted to move to the left just a tad and place the entire background falls behind the trees.