Fall on the Coquille River

This is the upper tier of a small series of falls on the East Fork of the Coquille River. Directly behind where I stood were the main falls which are unamed as far as I can tell.

I am curious on everyone's opinions about this image. The unusual potholes were quite a challenge to arrange in the frame so they weren't a big jumbled mess.

I'm also a little undecided on the overall color temp. It was a blue morning sky and obviously not the ideal condtions for waterfalls.

Thoughts? Comments?

40D
tokina 12-24 @ 12mm
f/13
2.5sec
iso200

This is a really nice image. I love the multi-directional water flow and the wonderful fall color....

do you have any idea what caused the holes in the rocks....there is some of that up here near my house on a river that looks very very similar to this.......

the leaves are a nice touch!!!!

Darren, I'm no geologist, but my guess is that they were deposits of softer rock that have been eroded over the years and are now gone. I actually took a stick about 6 feet long and poked it down into the hole right above the FG leaf and didn't touch bottom. Kinda freaked me out a little! I know of many similar creekbeds on the coastal tributaries. A lot of interesting geology, but usually they are surrounded by logged off hillsides, and not so photogenic.

It's a really beautiful image, and great composition IMHO. I do think this would work better with some warmer color balance. The green trees and the water are a little too blue, and if there was a warmer tone, it would reinforce the autumn colors scattered throughout.
I can't say enough about this composition....it's really striking.

Ooh that's nice Aaron, well done. I love the flow of interest from front to back, and nice fall color.

I had no idea there was that sort of potholing along the EF Coq. Very very cool stuff. Looks to me like its either basalt or rhyolitic rock, so the potholes were probably formed by the water chiseling out pockets of soluble minerals then stones getting in there and swirling around.

I can't say I can find fault in this image, maybe if anything the two potholes on the left edge that got cut off draw my eye away just a bit. The white balance looks fine to me.

Oh, very interesting scene with all the potholes. I see what you mean about getting a good comp out of it, and I think you did great! Lots to look at in this unique, fun image.

Exceptional image, Aaron - I wouldn't change a thing. The color temp feels right on to my eyes (rocks and water look natural), and even if it's a little cool, it's working well. If you do warm it up, I'd make sure the water highlights don't go yellow. You could selectively warm up the yellows and greens to make the foliage pop just a little more, an leave the rocks and water alone.

Excellent comp, too. You've got some strong leading lines that lend structure to the random placement of the potholes. Looks like a fascinating area.

I used to go up on the south fork above Powers for quite a few years. This really brings back memories. Very cool shot with good balance and color.

Ok, last night I brought the color temp up quite a ways. I got distracted and came back to it a while later and thought it was way too much. Here is a dailed back version, somewhere between the original and my warmer version.

Erik, this is actually quite a ways from the South Fk. It does have its similarities though. There are a lot of cool things to check out up past Powers. Did you go there to camp or hike?
Once you get past past Powers and up into the Siskyou Nat. Forest, the scenery is excellent.

Thanks for all the replies. I really appreciate it.

I prefer the second version. The foliage looks better to me. The comp is excellent. The water motion, rendered nicely. Great shot.

The two forks are pretty far apart. We would camp at Daphne Grove and a few other places near by. Did alot of hiking, fishing, exploring . Such a beautiful area. There's a pretty falls up the road which isn't a long hike. I think it's Coquille falls. I've taken that road many times to Gold Beach with the Rogue river along the way. A lot of log trucks used to take that gravel, narrow, winding with lots of sharp curves.

I like the 2nd version as well, the colors are more natural in my opinion. There's a lot to like about this photo.

I like the effect of the warmer temp on the trees, but I think it weakens the lower part quite a bit.

The warm/cool combo of the fallen leaves and rocks/water in the first version is what really strikes me; it's a great complement to the overall composition. In the second, it's more of a warm/warm combo with the rocks warmed up so much. Still a very strong image, but I think you lose one its best qualities.

I really dig this shot - very different element than I'm used to seeing in Oregon river shots and to get fall color and leafs on the ground makes this even stronger. I prefer the top of the new version and the bottom of the OP. Making the rocks so brown in the repost looks artificial in some way.

How far of a hike to get to this area ? I've yet to explore that part of Oregon.

John, no hiking required, really. This is along a backroad road that goes from Coos Bay to Roseburg. It was once the main route, before hwy 42 was built. There are still a few old houses around that were stagecoach stops. It used to be a multi-day trip to go the +/-50 miles one way.

I prefer to park, and just walk up the creek as far as I can before I get stuck by deep water or tough terrain. Then I walk back down the road to my truck and stop at the next section that looks photogenic. Getting from the road down into the river can be a pretty serious bushwack in some places, but its worth it.

This area is a goldmine in late spring as soon as the alder leaves come in. Lots of seasonal waterfalls, and the water is high enough to be intersting, yet safe enough to get wet and explore a little. I can spend hours in a few hundred yards of river, easily.

I think I'll try putting the warm top section w/ the cooler bottom and see what it looks like. sounds like a good option. If you are ever in the area, let me know, and I'd be glad to point you in the right direction.

Thanks again to all for the input. It is great to get everyone's different opinions.
-Aaron

That is just stunning, Aaron. Absolutely one of the best autumn stream/river shots ever taken in this state IMO! The composition is so dynamic and creative, with so much to look at everywhere. Post this on the ESS forum. I'm sure it would be received well by the bigger audience! Congrats!

Marc, that's one hell of a compliment, coming from a person with your credentials. Made my day for sure!

I will post this on ESS when I get a little time. Probably a half warm, half cool version, and see how it flies with everyone else.

Geez, I'd hate to step in one of these holes while wading when the water level is just high enough to hide them... The shot is spectacular, though. Between the two you posted, the warmer one has a lot more pop to it. This is my favorite kind of scenery.