Twin Falls

[Brownbear]

Another try at the waterfalls. This time I managed to climb down to get a lower viewpoint. It's a special place, and all the more memorable for me because a bald eagle flew right in front of my face (No I didn't even have a chance to take a shot of the eagle but that's okay)

Aperture Priority f/16 SS 1/5 second ISO 100

Exposed for the water, and lightened up the underexposed rocks to bring up the shadow areas.

#1. Processed in Lightroom



#2. Processed in Adobe Photoshop CC

Using levels, curves and exposure masks to lighten the rocks even more.



I think I prefer the darker version but that may only be because I lightened the 2nd version too much?

This is a learning exercise for me... I would be most appreciative of feedback on the composition and post processing. Thank you.

[FootLoose]

I think you have nailed the exposure of the waterfall this time, Christina.

I prefer the lighting in the first image; the second is too bright for me. The 2nd seems to be more about investigating the detail in every nook and cranny in the rocks, whereas the first much more about the water and the atmosphere of the scene.

I would crop a little off the top to remove the bridge in the upper right corner, and a similar amount off the left to remove the wooden debris on the lower left of frame.

I would also consider cloning out the piece of wood on the lower right of frame. My eye is immediately drawn to the bright water but then that dark wood directs my attention over to the middle of the frame where I see the orange coloured wooden objects. So, there is a bit of competition for attention here.

[Mike Buckley]

Definitely great progress!

Agreed with all of Greg's comments. Added to them, I would like to see more space on the right; the main waterfall is too close to the right side of the frame. If I could make only one change, it would be that.

[Stagecoach]

Hi Christina,

It's the No 1 version for me, I feel that No 2 is too bright for the apparent location.

As for any changes, I would agree a bit more space on the right would be an advantage but I suspect there is a reason as to why you could not do that. Personally I would not clone out any of the timber, but then my cloning skills would probably make it look a disaster.

Looking at this scene is there scope to take a much closer shot of the path of the water between the rocks, centre bottom, with the fall or rocks in the background? Access I suspect is what would determine this.

Out of interest did you take shots a differing speeds to decide the water affect you preferred?

Oh, I forgot to say I like it

Grahame

[Shadowman]

Christina,

I would work on both images, take the first forward with emphasis on dark tones, draw the viewers eye towards what is most important to you. In the second, let the viewer search amongst everything, there are at least five areas of interest in this scene, don't preference one over the other.

[IzzieK]

I like the first version, Christina...there are certainly a lot of things to look at here and they are all interesting to say the least. Maybe removing the plank of wood will help too but if you keep it there where it is, it still creates a bit of interest there. All areas are who looking into.

[John 2]

I prefer the lighting in the first image.................
I would crop a little off the top to remove the bridge in the upper right corner, and a similar amount off the left to remove the wooden debris on the lower left of frame...............

My instinct as well Christina and I would go with the first. My only other thought is that my preference (and that is all it is) would be for slightly more texture in the water. Would need a slightly faster SS.

[FrankMi]

I like the darker one as it looks more natural to me Christina. I also don't mind the driftwood for the same reason. Sometimes an object in a scene will interrupt the flow of the composition and need to be addressed but in this case, the driftwood is natural to the scene and doesn't jump out and bite me so I'd leave it. The walkway, on the other hand, is more subjective and more of a personal taste.

[bnnrcn]

#1 seems excellent Christina Cropping the bridge might be good but IMO it depends on your taste, it might as well stay as a detail because it is not very distracting.

[Brownbear]

Thank you to everyone for your helpful replies, sharing your preferences and tips to improve the image. I will try and find some time today to post an edit, and another shot with a wee bit more space on the right, with a slightly faster shutter speed. If not I will do so on Monday. (Tomorrow is Mothers Day, and I have some shopping and things to arrange to create a special day for my Mom)

The first image is more true to the scene and my preference but I was of the mind that it might be too dark (no detail in the shadows) - and then my husband said he preferred the lighter version. So two versions posted for input.

It is nice to know that the darker version seems to be preferred because it means that I don't have to lift the exposure on the rocks too much (noise, etc) and it also provides me some clear direction for other images in the set.

Greg, Mike and Grahame

I will try all of your suggestions and post the result later. I will try cloning out the branch as a post processing exercise and to see the difference it makes to the image. I suspect that I will not be able to do it well but I will give it a try.

Space to the right... Yes, I think there should be more space to the right, and I do have a couple of other shots with a wee bit more space to the right. The space to the right is the wall of the canyon, and likely more fallen trees and branches. It is difficult to include because the canyon walls are steep, muddy and slippery and I'm taking the shot from a rather awkward spot. It is in an out of bounds area that involves climbing over and under fences to reach, that I need to be careful navigating. I suspect that by the summer time I will be able to get down to a perch located a little lower down that will allow me to capture more of the scene, and I'm hopeful that the waterfalls will still be roaring on that day.

John (Shadowman), Izzie and Binnur

Thank you for your feedback, appreciated! Yes, there are a lot of scenes within that scene. I prefer the darker version but I will return on a sunny day to capture a lighter scene. I thought of cropping out the bridge but left the image as shot to receive feedback. So we will see.

Frank

Thank you for sharing your preference and your thoughts on the bridge and the fallen tree/branch. Yes, the fallen tree is part of the natural scene. The bridge above I will have to think about but I suspect that I will crop it out.


John 2 & Grahame

I do have a couple of shots taken at a faster shutter speed. My original intent was to capture the full beauty and roar of the falls at a faster shutter speed but I wanted to use a smaller aperture, and because the rock walls are so dark I decided the slower shutter speed was the best compromise for the underexposed rocks. I could've bracketed shots, and likely did take a few bracketed images but bracketing is new to me and I need more practice at it.


Thank you to everyone! As always very helpful and appreciated!

[Brownbear]

Following is the image edited using Greg's and Mike's suggestions.

Processed in LR... Very weak contrast curve... Moved the black point in a wee bit so the rocks were not so dark. Increased vibrancy to 19... Sharpened .7 radius 25%... Selectively increased the exposure of the rocks by anywhere from 1.06 to 2.00..

Exported to Photoshop CC

Applied a curve to selectively darken the water. Burned a couple of bright spots. Selectively sharpened just the rocks... The colour space should be sRGB.

Cropped the bridge and driftwood out, cloned out the fallen tree. With respect to cloning out the fallen tree it went better than I expected but I didn't know what the water looked like beneath and around the tree so I'm not so sure the water looks natural in that area.

The Edit SS 1/6 second




With respect to the requests to see more space on the right hand side of the falls and a faster shutter speed. I went through my images and quickly processed just to share.

1. SS 1/40 second (I don't like this one - )




2. From an earlier higher view point SS 1/25 second (I like this one)





3. With more space but silky falls. SS .6 of a second (This one I like for the silky falls)




Note... I did take some shots at higher shutter speeds but they didn't turn out. I will try for the higher shutter speeds again the next time around on a sunnier brighter day.

Thank you to all!

[Mike Buckley]

The last one is my choice of all of them. Very, very nice! If you processed the white water to include the detail of "The Edit 1/6 second," it would be even better for me.

[Brownbear]

Thank you Mike,

How would I go about pulling out more detail from silky blurred waterfalls? I did darken them using curves just like the other falls but I'm not sure that there would be detail to pull out of blurry water?

Thank you.

The last one is my choice of all of them. Very, very nice! If you processed the white water to include the detail of "The Edit 1/6 second," it would be even better for me.

[Mike Buckley]

How would I go about pulling out more detail from silky blurred waterfalls?

In the photo shown below, I selected the white water of the cascade and applied the curve also shown below. I probably should have also selected the white water located in the lower left corner.

[Brownbear]

Thank you Mike! I will try this the first chance I get, and post the result. The visual is very helpful to see.

In the photo shown below, I selected the white water of the cascade and applied the curve also shown below. I probably should have also selected the white water located in the lower left corner.

[FootLoose]

I think the cropping and cloning of the very first turned out well, Christina, but I have to say I think the last two images are superior compositions. I particularly like the drama of the second last one, but in both of these the waterfall is more obviously the subject of the photo.

[Brownbear]

Thank you Greg. I truly appreciate your feedback - always helpful

Mike...

Following is the edit using your suggestion for curves on the white water. I didn't save yesterdays edits and I had to start from scratch and I suspect that the image may be a bit too dark in the background. (Curves not applied to the background but I must have missed a step somewhere.



Thank you.

[ShaneS]

Christina,

I'm a bit late to the party but I wanted to say that I really thing that the last image that you posted is a lovely composition and the best of the bunch IMHO. I think that Mike's suggestion about the water is a good one but that you didn't take it quite far enough in your edit. The background bridge did lose some pop as well. Get those two thinks sorted out and then print it and put it on your wall as a sign of your progress

I wonder what made you choose the other compositions over that one when you started the thread? I ask the question to get you thinking about your selection process.

I also wonder why you aren't saving the edits that you post here? It seems to me that it would often be much easier to make changes to an existing edit than to start all over. Trust me, I do it ALL the time...

[Mike Buckley]

Ditto to every single point made by Shane

[Brownbear]

Hi Shane,

Thank you for taking the time to comment and to provide helpful feedback.

When it comes to my landscape attempts I'm still learning what I like and don't like. I find it helpful to post and receive feedback to see how I could photograph the scene better the next time around. When Mike mentioned the space on the right and Greg the texture in the water, it was only then that I took a more objective look at this set. I remembered trying to include more of the scene on the right but I didn't know if I managed to do so because of the position I was photographing the scene from. (Additionally because the rocks were underexposed I couldn't see the entire scene until I tried post processing a couple.)

On this particular day I was just delighted that I was able to climb down to a lower view point, and I liked the waterfall in the first two images I posted - hence I posted those two images.

I'm learning that I need to sit on my images for a week or two or three, and then view them again - ie; objectively with the emotions and feelings of the day at the scene set aside.

I didn't save the edits because they were just for feedback purposes. It was only after I processed the last two images that I decided that I liked them, especially the last one. Lesson learned.

Here is another try but of course I couldn't manage to do the exact same edit.



Thank you Shane! Appreciated!

Christina,

I'm a bit late to the party but I wanted to say that I really thing that the last image that you posted is a lovely composition and the best of the bunch IMHO. I think that Mike's suggestion about the water is a good one but that you didn't take it quite far enough in your edit. The background bridge did lose some pop as well. Get those two thinks sorted out and then print it and put it on your wall as a sign of your progress

I wonder what made you choose the other compositions over that one when you started the thread? I ask the question to get you thinking about your selection process.

I also wonder why you aren't saving the edits that you post here? It seems to me that it would often be much easier to make changes to an existing edit than to start all over. Trust me, I do it ALL the time...