White Water

[Sam W]

That is not a sea scenery where you might need a bridge for a focal point. To me that fast water is your scene and the focal point is the center. If you want, you can get one of your duck butt shot and digitally drown it in the middle of the picture...you know what I mean...? then say, that was your focal point. Something attracted you to shoot that scene or you shouldn't have taken it. What was it? Did you achieve the look you want? That is most important of all...something attracted me to look at your shot some more...it is because I can almost hear the sound of water rushing by and flowing. To my eyes your composition here is good with the position of the rocks and the water rushing to the right side like it should...the colour is good too...what else can I say?

Hi Izzie, I like the result. Grahame's suggestion and the resulting edit helped place emphasis on what attracted me to the shot. I would have liked to capture the sound there as it was louder than you'd expect. Thanks again for your comments.

[Mike Buckley]

I'm trying to figure out what to do regarding Mike's comment of a lack of a focal point

Sometimes the focal point in a scene such as this one can be a pattern. That's always difficult for me to execute well but the few times it happens, it works really well.

The most obvious situation is a large rock, tree or some other object that anchors the scene. As an example, in this scene there is a flurry of water flowing over a rock in the lower left corner. That rock is barely perceptible in and of itself in the monochrome version but stands out very strongly in the color version. That part of the scene is so strong to my eye that it pulls my eye away toward the bottom of the frame. It's possible that if that area of the river was provided a stronger position in the image, such as one that conforms with the rule of thirds, it might be an adequate to superior focal point or anchor.

[Dave A]

I find you have just the right amount of water blur. Nicely done.

Dave

[Sam W]

I made a number of subtle changes in the edit below using some Google Picasa. I've read alot about Photoshop and hope to get that one day (hint to Santa).

[bnnrcn]

I still prefer the version in post #20 Sam. I feel the freshness of the water much better in the brighter version
PS. I changed my mind immediately Sam. I looked at it again and the last one is better. Sometimes I have to look at an image several times to judge it better

I made a number of subtle changes in the edit below using some Google Picasa. I've read alot about Photoshop and hope to get that one day (hint to Santa).

[bnnrcn]

And now I realised what bothered me in your last edit . The dark parts in the water on the RHS seem a bit too dark to me Sam. Otherwise brightness of the white parts in the water look good in the last image. So if you brighten that dark part on the RHS just a bit , IMO the image will look lovely

[Sam W]

And now I realised what bothered me in your last edit . The dark parts in the water on the RHS seem a bit too dark to me Sam. Otherwise brightness of the white parts in the water look good in the last image. So if you brighten that dark part on the RHS just a bit , IMO the image will look lovely

Good catch Binnur. I adjusted the RHS below. Thanks for your comments.

[IzzieK]

Sam...have you tried to print this one...? It is really beautiful. If this is mine, I will...

[Sam W]

Thanks Izzie not yet. I'm am glad you like it.

[robertmpoole]

A very nice image. I like the fact that the water has sense of movement still rather than completely losing it using a long exposure. The conversion to black and white is nice and gives a nice range of tones. The lack of a focus point or foreground interest in my opinion gives it a calming feel rather than making it confusing as it could do. A good image overall.

RE the comments about shooting in mono. I usually have my camera set to mono JPEG + RAW. I almost never use the JPEG and do my own conversions in post processing. This allows you to preview the image in b&w whilst still retaining the colour version (at least it does on my Fujis and Leica)

Rob

[Sam W]

A very nice image. I like the fact that the water has sense of movement still rather than completely losing it using a long exposure. The conversion to black and white is nice and gives a nice range of tones. The lack of a focus point or foreground interest in my opinion gives it a calming feel rather than making it confusing as it could do. A good image overall.

RE the comments about shooting in mono. I usually have my camera set to mono JPEG + RAW. I almost never use the JPEG and do my own conversions in post processing. This allows you to preview the image in b&w whilst still retaining the colour version (at least it does on my Fujis and Leica)

Rob

Thanks for the complements Robert. The shutter speed was just a bit of luck. I like your points on the lack of a focus point/foreground interest.

That's a good idea about JPEG+RAW. However, my B&W PP is usually so drastically different that the initial B&W image that I am not sure it would help but I am still new at it so I will give it a try.

I like your cave picture in the mini-completion. Best regards - Sam

[bnnrcn]

Now it looks very nice !

Good catch Binnur. I adjusted the RHS below. Thanks for your comments.