Just back from my second trip to Zion National Park in 2 weeks. Why you ask? Well, when I was there in the middle of October, I had a Lottery Ticket for the Subway hike but after talking to a guy that had done the hike the day before, he said that the fall colors had barely started in that Canyon. So I made the decision to take a chance and try and score another lottery ticket for Friday, November 6th. It wasn’t a problem at all.
I have to say that the hike itself is a bit of a letdown. Other than the dinosaur tracks at about the 2-mile mark, there wasn’t much to see except lots of large boulders and downed trees that you had to maneuver around. With no real trail to follow, you simply follow the river until you reach your final destination, the Subway. However, about a 1/4 mile before you hit the entrance to the subway, you happen upon one of the most beautiful terraced waterfalls I’ve ever seen. With all of the fall colored leaves on the ground, it made for a spectacle I won’t soon forget. I’m posting a couple of images from Archangel Falls before I post any images of the actual Subway because I think the falls may be even more incredible than the Subway.
I’ve got a landscape version and a slightly different angle for a portrait version. Please let me know which you prefer and if there is anything I can do to improve either of these images. Thanks very much for taking a look.
What technical feedback would you like if any? Any P
What artistic feedback would you like if any? Any Please
Pertinent technical details or techniques: 24-70mm, 24mm, 1 second @ f/14, ISO 50, Z7, polarizer.
(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
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Eye candy, very nice, beautiful light and color. I prefer the landscape comp, the vertical comp bottom not quite up to the rest of the image. I might take some blue out of the waterfalls.
Nice work.
David - really nice capture of the falls, beautiful colors and water motion. As I was looking at the landscape version I was thinking a little off the sides would be nice to bring more focus to the water. And then I looked at the portrait version and thought - yes, that was what I was seeing. So I prefer the portrait style. I might tweak the shadows a little if it was mine, but jyst my preference.
Two different takes on the scene produce two very different visual representations. I much prefer the vertical, but that doesn’t mean the horizontal is bad. It is very nice. I think the vertical has more visual impact and speaks more to the scene, but only you know what the scene was and what it meant to you when you photographed it.
They’re both very great compositions. I can’t decide which one is better. Neither is better than the other. I think the vertical is a more original composition.
I’m not a big fan of the electric blue color although I admit it stands out from the browns very nicely.
Thanks for the feedback @Dan_Kearl, @Igor_Doncov, @Keith_Bauer, @Terrance_Alexander. I can’t believe I did this but I posted the wrong images. I also noticed how blue the water became when I reduced the temperature almost 1000 Kelvin from the raw file (it was way too warm), and have files with the blue color cast in the water removed. When I get home tonight I’ll repost these. I appreciate your input on landscape vs. portrait. I’m torn. They are quite different and from different perspectives as well. I’m leaning portrait but I keep waffling.
I have the same take on this as @Igor_Doncov . They are both good, but the vertical is a more unique perspective. In the vertical you feel more like you are standing right there . In the horizontal I feel more like I am looking at something, rather than the viewer being within the scene. I think you maybe could have achieved this “being there” feeling with a horizontal if you had moved to your left and gotten lower and closer. Of course never having been to The Subway, I don’t know if that would result in taking a bath or not.
I think the blue water just doesn’t feel right, it’s too out of place with the rest of the scene. I also think both images have a black point set a bit too deep, I would suggest backing off the black point a little.
Thanks for the feedback @Igor_Doncov, @Dan_Kearl, @Keith_Bauer, @Michael_Lowe, @Ed_McGuirk, @Terrance_Alexander. Again, I apologize for posting the wrong files. I have added the correct files with the blue colorcast in the water removed and on these files and I also corrected the black point as suggested by almost everyone. Thanks for that.
Ed, I should have tried to get lower to capture the perspective you suggest. If I ever do this grueling hike again, (doubt it) I will take this into consideration. Thanks for the idea!
Changing the black point caused a color shift. The rich cinnamon browns that I liked so much have been washed out. I think that weakens the image, particularly the horizontal. The image just seems less impactful than it was originally. Personally, I would not have changed the black point.
Thanks @Igor_Doncov for your honesty. I think I can keep the black point where it is and reduce the shadows to get that richness back in the cinnamon tones. I love that richness also.
