A Bit of a Central Oregon Waterfall

I visited Steelhead Falls for the first time last month. I didn't take as much time as I should have (I was worried a guy in a Forerunner was going to break into my car at the trailhead...he was probably a photographer leaving as the light got too contrasty ;-).

Anyway, I loved the frosty foliage and frothy water. I'm experimenting with stripping away all but the essential. What do you think of this effort?

The way the light and shadow fall on the scene as composed, it looks like the main subject is the rocks over the top of the falls. To get to the essentials, almost 1/4 of the top could come off, IMO. Perhaps we have a different idea about what constitutes "the essentials" though... I am interested in following you along on your experiment, for sure!

Thanks, Catherine. You are so right about that light on the far bank drawing attention to the rocks. I played with some graduated filters and re-cropped. Better?

I like the re-post much better, really puts your attention on the falls.

Ditto, I too like the crop. Did you happen to take a version with smoother water? I love the patterns in the ice, and would like to see how they look without competition from water patterns.

Thanks, Joe and John. No, I didn't attempt to slow down the water. It's a sacrilege, but I was thinking wide angle and didn't even bring a tripod. I think I took this with the 24-105mm. Next time will definitely be different.

Repost is much better, Marylynne! nice job.