It's about the Light

I mentioned on ESS this morning I was going to present a series of new images that showcase unconventionally strong lighting and ways to control it. This is another in that series, from a well known location in the gorge. I've shot this spot three dozen times before, but it didn't work without light.

Tech stuff: Midday exposure in direct lighting. One exposure to keep the highlights in check and most of the shadow detail. Another exposure blended for just the shadow details. Both exposures diffused slightly using my condesation technique in the field, and the finished blend diffused selectively using my 'glow' variation of the Orton effect. Dodge/burning, curves, other stuff for textures and contrasts. 1Ds III, 22mm, polarizer.

Amazing control of just about the trickiest lighting you could try to take a photo of Marc. Your ability to keep everything so balanced and smooth through the various steps of blending, dodging, burning, and so on is a real skill and art. I have tried to do similar things with similar light with much less success. Things seems to quickly get messy and issues compound rapidly. Thanks, as usual, for setting the bar high and showing what is possible.

Yes it is, and I love the effect you achieved here Marc. I've tried to shoot this location many times, and none were nearly as good as this. I use a very similar set of techniques sometimes for forests with direct sunlight minus the condensation technique. My image Adamus Falls is a good example. I think you've taken it to a new level, I can't wait to see the rest of the series.

Really nice Marc. I enjoy the composition and the bright light on it. The little sprays of water droplet (quite fine) in the lower left are really nice. I'd say this is one of my favorites you've posted this year - this and Punch Bowl...look forward to the rest of the series...!

Ian

I love it when someone pulls off the unconventional and does it really well. So many try to shoot falls early and late; midday exposure in direct lighting is when I'm usually taking my nap . I really believe that glow is at its best with these PNW green/water shots, and it really works here. Thanks for this series and your descriptions, I look forward to the rest. As Sean notes, you set the bar high.

When you get enough practice at dodging and burning, it's almost like you are painting. This surely has that painterly feel. Nice job in "harsh" light here Marc! You especially handled the highlights nicely...

Love the play of light and shadow throughout Marc, a beautiful and tricky blend to keep your highlights in check.

David M. Cobb

Very magical feel to this Marc, great control on a very contrasty lighting situation. That dappled light is just wonderful!

D**n. I always enjoyed not being able to shoot in these conditions....a chance to relax after the morning's and evening's sweet light shoot. Now you've shown us that we can, and perhaps should, shoot all day long on those sunny days (already do on overcast days)....no rest. Nice stuff.

Sorry, Mark.

I woke up and took another look at this today, and although no one had mentioned it, I felt the light levels looked a bit too HDRish for me, so I reprocessed it with selective highlights being brighter.

Pardon my ignorance, but what is ESS?

a nice shot. What I really like is when you are down a little lower and more to the right and with a wider angle lens you can also get fairy falls in the shot.....

Dave, ESS is Earth, Sea and Sky - the main landscape forum on NPN.

Great shot Marc! I don't know how you can pull this off in the contrast of mid-day light. Any tricks to blending the exposures like this? I've tried with similar shots before using layers and masks with two exposures and it just doesn't work this well. I either end up with a light haloing or a dark rim along the edge of the lights and darks. Do I just need to slow down and spend more time getting the blends just right or is there a trick to avoiding the halo or dark rim while blending?

Yep, version 2 is even better.

2 Marc

I also prefer #2; the water really comes alive. I'm just astounded by your technique with the blends. I know how maddeningly difficult it is when one has a mix of dark and light areas all over the image as you have in this one, and you pulled it off w/o any artifacts whatsoever. I just love how all the picture elements come together here; I can understand why this is often photographed. Such excellent work.

Version 2 is better for sure, although I had no qualms with the first post. Amazing range of tones you captured here. It reminds me of some photos I tried to take at Clearwater Falls a couple years ago, but could never pull off because of the varied lighting.

The second one is great Marc.... your tech skills are amazing.... I have long long ways to go, learning some of that stuff!! regards, Rajeev.

Marc,
I've been looking at this one here and on your site for a long time. It is a stunning show of movement and light. Early on I picked up that the motion of the water didn't seem consistent across the image. As time went on and with no comments about this I began questioning my eyes--but I still see it. The falls in the lower left corner have a couple of areas where the drops (large drops I'm guessing) seem fairly visible, rather than smothed/blurred with a longer exposure. Is this simply because they are large, individual, 'far and few between' drops, or is this exposing (sorry) part of the blending process? I feel a bit sheepish asking, but I am curious.

Thanks,
Jason Denham
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasondenham