Is this a composite? (focus stacks or exposure blends are not considered composites) No
@sarahjanelaubscher
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First of all, I would like to say “welcome to NPN”! What a first shot! I have only shot a few waterfalls in my life, so no pro at it, but I just love the misty fog at the top, and the flow of the water. It would be really nice if you could provide your settings and any specifics you might can provide. That not only helps those that may provide critique, but also those that are wishing to learn.
Again, it is good to have you here at NPN, and looking forward to seeing more of your images as well as reading your critiques.
Glad you got this uploaded okay, and welcome to NPN Sarah Jane. Glad to have you aboard.
In terms of critique here at NPN, it often helps to briefly discuss in your post what specific feedback if any you are looking for. Or briefly discuss your intent in making the image, what led you to make some of the decisions that you did in composing and/or processing the image.
The processing here is very stylized, so I am going to assume that was your creative intent. The warm, dreamy look can help tell a story about autumn. This image has a bit more of a red cast than I would prefer for my own work (especially in the white water), but color is a very personal and subjective thing, and this is your image.
I think my most significant suggestion would be to tweak the composition by making a crop from the top to eliminate the open sky. It is so bright that it has a lot of visual weight, and being near the frame edge that is a minor distraction for me. I know you were trying for a “glow” above the falls, but I think the glow in the foggy forest directly above the falls is enough to serve that purpose. Here is a rework with a crop to reflect my comment. I did a 5x7 crop, and used a lights luminosity mask to do some gentle dodging of the foggy area above the falls, to add a slight bit more glow there.
Welcome to NPN Sarah. What a great first post. You have captured such splendid light. No nits from me.
Welcome to NPN Sarah Jane, and this is a very nice first post. I like the misty atmosphere, and the shutter speed looks good for the water. I really like the optical illusion created by the tree in the center of the background. The top of that tree is darker than it’s background, while the bottom is lighter than it’s background. Very cool trick of light.
At first, my thought was that the image was too warm overall, but as I looked longer, it really conveys the feeling of autumn, so I do like it as is. It’s creatively processed to tell the story. I like @Ed_McGuirk’s suggestion for a crop off the top, and I would actually suggest one below as well. There is a good bit of water in the foreground that is relatively featureless, and the grasses in the lower right grab my eye a bit. As an alternate to cropping off the bottom, maybe clone or just darken those grasses?
Wellcome to NPN Sarah. You have already had the two most important advices for me. I love your personal colors that make for an original and creative photo. A thouth: what do you think about cropping the necked tree just in the middle of the upper part of the image? A beautiful photo.
Sarah, So glad you were able to post this fine example. Welcome to NPN. I am sure you’ll find this a great place to meet with fellow photographers and share images, thoughts, and suggestions.
I look forward to seeing more of your work.
Great shot Sarah, the misty conditions and composition are great. I think the color balance does provide a great artistic feel. I went ahead and made a few adjustments like lowering the temperature, decreasing the blue saturation and a bit of a crop just for a different look however as is, its very nice!
Welcome, Sarah!! This is a beautiful first post – I hope to see a lot of your work and participation! I prefer the crops both top and bottom. Amazing how much is brought out by the different WB. I think it might look interesting going just a little that way. With misty, dreamy images I tend to bring up more detail in the darks. I see your histogram is pushed well up against the left wall and I wonder how it would compare to see a version with them pulled away.
Welcome to NPN Sarah. What a wonderfully stylized image. It harkens back to the early 20th century. I think that may have been the intention. I like your original un cropped version but would fix the blown out areas in the sky.
