the falls

[MatthewWilliams]

this is a stitched pic of 3 photos ... no tripod cause it broke... but how can i do this without blowing out the whites?
Now the falls were in shadow already and i am facing south, these were shot around f7 with the canon set on AV..

[IzzieK]

Without an EXIF I do not know what software you are using for editing. If you have Photoshop (I do not know Lightroom) you can use Levels (CTRL +L) to move the Output Levels a little bit to the left to correct the bluish tinge in the snow to make it naturally whiter. This is just one method. I think I have read somewhere that there are other methods.

[Downrigger]

Pretty, Matthew. Looks to me like the whites aren't blown irretrievably - the sky and the snow both seem to have some data in them to my eye. You should be able to selectively lower brightness, and add clarity/contrast to these areas in LR or PS without much trouble. Even with that I think the amount of sky you have here (I know, isn't much) seems overpowering of your nice falss/-and-rocks subject and I might experiment with a crop that loses about half of it. Anyway, good job; this nice image gives you lots to work with.

[Manfred M]

Matthew - I just opened the file in Photoshop, and the highlights are definitely there and recoverable; in the snow and in the sky. All you have to do is coax them out in PP. as the others have suggested.

[MatthewWilliams]

i was going back there shortly, think the light will be better.... what would the best camera setting be... these were around f7 and set to AV on the canon t5i? i'm thinking there will be more light in the crevice.

[Manfred M]

It's hard to make a suggestion as you've missed giving us the most important detail; the focal length that you are planning to shoot with. I expect that you are planning to have everything in the image sharp? In that case, a small aperture to maximize depth of field (I rarely shoot images like this one with aperture openings larger than f/11 unless I am using a fairly wide angle lens).

I also usually take at the camera's base ISO setting to maximize colour depth (and of course minimize noise), but will adjust ISO upwards in order to get an appropriate shutter speed when I handhold. If I shoot with a tripod, I'll go to a much lower shutter speed. I will check hyperfocal distance charts and select an appropriate focus point rather than focusing at the farthest object in the scene.

[MatthewWilliams]

it would seem this young (sorta) photographer has much to learn in the ways of the camera...and nope the light was no good ... sun was just to the left Very bright and harsh and the fall were still in the shadows ... but i shall revisit this spot over the next few months aim to improve my skills ... and thanks for the advice..

[IzzieK]

Well this young (sorta) photographer can start reading up on Aperture Triangle...doesn't he? Do some research. Find an article that is easy for you to understand. Then you can practice in your backyard and indoors with different light conditions. It is fun...well, I find experiments like that with my camera fun. Photographically, I don't accomplish anything at the end of the day but I got to learn my camera. Then skills will come when you know the rules and when to break them...just a thought.