Adams Falls

Two images of a tighter crop of Adams Falls in Ricketts Glen SP, PA. Just wondering if you prefer one version over the other. I look at them one time and I prefer one version and the next time I like the other.

thanks for your thoughts.

What technical feedback would you like if any?

What artistic feedback would you like if any?

Any pertinent technical details:

Nikon D800, Nikon 80-200 @ 100 mm, f 18 @ 1/6 sec, ISO 800, MLU, CPL, tripod & cable release

You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.

Ed: The wider view works much better for me. Seeing the entire top of the falls just feels better. >=))>

I really like both, but going back and forth, I prefer the tighter crop. You can’t go wrong with either.

Ed, both are very nice but I definitely prefer the wider scene of the complete falls. I agree with Bill and the top of falls adds even more interest for me.

Definitely the first image of the full falls holds my attention more. Like your treatment of the water.

Thanks for your thoughts @Bill_Fach, @Harley_Goldman, @Alan_Kreyger and @Patricia_Brundage; always appreciated. I am pleased with both versions.

Both images are excellent, so preference is a matter of personal taste. The top image is a “grand landscape”, while the bottom is an “intimate landscape.” So, I prefer the top image. The wider view is more interesting. In any case, it’s a great scene that is captured well.

Thanks for your kind words @Marc_McCann. Glad you enjoyed the images.

Ed, I think they both work well, but for different reasons. To me the second image is more of an abstract, the the first is more of a “straight” image. I don’t think one is necessarily “better” than another. My personal taste is that I prefer the tighter view, but that’s subjective.

Along the lines of subjective, I think these images are a little too warm for my taste. I had a similar comment on one of your other Ricketts Glen images, so the two of us appear to have different preferences. Your style leans to the warmer presentation and that is fine. If this were mine, I would process it more like this, I think it makes the green ferns pop more. Just my $0.02.

Thanks for taking the time to do a rework @Ed_McGuirk; I value your insight. Your version works beautifully and the greens do pop a little more as you already mentioned. You are right; I do tend to favor a warmer tone which I may have to revisit as I do prefer your presentation which looks neutral. I have a couple of more images from Ricketts Glen which I will check again before posting.

Ed,

Both images are wonderful; yet they do give slight different impressions. The first, wider view as someone else has mentioned comes across as a more classic view; it’s about the cascade, it’s origin and the surrounding elements, all balanced for a nicely composed image. The cropped version becomes a bit more abstract; more about texture and details. And the second still remains nicely balanced and composed.

Even before reading Ed M.'s comments, I too was thinking about the warmth and color cast. It’s not strong and initially I was mostly seeing the brown in the water - which of course is natural during run-offs. But his edits really nail it for me in terms of overall color.

Lon