Dissapointed at the Gorge

I was in Portland this weekend, and drove up to the Gorge for a quick trip before coming home on Monday. Of course those promising cloudy skies got sunnier and sunnier the farther east I drove. Here's a shot of Horsetail Falls. The falls were still in shadow, and I was able to make use of this intruding maple bough for a sunny accent to the scene. I purposely left the background dark for contrast. Thoughts?

I find Horsetail difficult to shoot effectively. Not sure whether it's the spray on the lens, the crowds asking what kind of camera I have, or the light (close to the north facing wall with little variation. This does a good job in my opinion. I would be tempted to increase contrast a bit, The BG could use some pop, but more importantly, the water seems gray on my monitor.

Haha, probably all three! I was waiting for someone to start asking me questions, but thankfully no one did. Here's a version with a bump in contrast.

Nice Joe! The repost really works! The difference is subtle but effective.

Thanks Steve! Missed you tonight.