The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
This image was taken recently in the Tremont area of Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I was trying to capture a sense of the water rushing together as the two streams met
Specific Feedback
I tried a few different shutter speeds. I liked this one because it preserved some texture. Does it work? This is sort of a centered composition. Would it have been better to have the meeting point of the water off to one side? Also I biased the color balance a bit to the green, which I thought helped capture the strong green colors everywhere in the Smokies in early spring, Too much?
Technical Details
Taken with a tripod mounted Sony A7riv with a Tamron 50-400 at 70 mm and f/16. 1/5 second shutter speed. Some pretty simple adjustments in Lightroom
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
I think you did an excellent job of capturing this scene! You hit the sweet spot with the water movement/shutter speed combination. Enough to give you the sense of spring runoff flowing water without being too cotton candy-like.
When I looked at the image full screen, I wanted a bit more sharpness in the tree leaves but realized, for an image like this, there is always a compromise between blurring the water movement and freezing the foilage movement, since a barely noticeable air movement can soften delicate elements like leaves.
As to the color, for me, it is spot on, not overly saturated but a very true representation of Spring in the smokeys. I don’t see anything I would change with this image. This looks like a wonderful spot to experiment with all kinds of compositions from the grand view you captured to more intimate detail compositions. I am especially drawn to the exposed roots on that peninsula between the two creeks. Well done Will!
I think your processing of the image is just fine. The greens look about right to me. The SS is perfect in capturing the power of the water while still leaving enough texture. As for the composition, it’s really hard to judge without being there to see what options were available. I like it as is. I’m a big fan of edge patrol, so I would clone out the diagonal branch in the URC.
Will, I think you have captured the flow and texture of the two streams as you set out to do. I also like the various hues of green. To my eye it captures the spring colors of the Smoky Mountains. As far as a centered composition I agree with Michael, it is hard to evaluate the overall composition without being there in person. I wonder how this would look as a panorama? Well done.
This is a very pleasant capture to my eye. Well done. I agree that the upper RH dark branch could be cloned out. Small thing but it does grab my eye just a bit.
Will, I don’t see the confluence as centered, because theres strong flow into the lower left corner. The shutter speed captures the water movement and texture very well. I too would clone out the dark branch in the upper right. That central pensula of trees and roots is great element.
Thanks all for your comments. I do not know how I missed the branch in the corner, except that maybe I had the metadata overlay on in Lightroom while I was editing, and it hid it. I will certainly get rid of it.
I’ve wondered at times if I should take a wider image of the scene I’m shooting for exactly this reason. If others were able to see more about what the options were, it would be helpful. I’m going to have to try to remember to do that.
I don’t think the confluence should be centered. With that said, a little more to the right would maybe work; it feels a tad cut off on that side. I think the greens look fine.
I’ve long been fascinated by the confluences of rivers/streams/etc. and this is a lovely image of one. There really isn’t much to critique here. If anything, I might prefer just a touch more room at the bottom of the frame. But, it’s certainly pretty darn spectacular as-is, too. Processing is spot on, love the texture in the water. Great image!
What a terrific confluence. I don’t have any images like this at all. I think your concept of having two streams run together came to fruition here.
I think the shutter speed is perfect. There is movement but also texture and I love a little bit of crisp texture in water movement. I think you nailed that.
I think your centered composition looks great but I’m also wondering if you have any more canvas on the left side of the image as the water is all flowing that way. Just a little and then crop from the right. That being said, the composition works great as is. I do find the darks of the stream on the left a bit heavy compared to the rest of the image and so I might dodge the darks in the stream to better balance the image.
I think the greens are just right. It doesn’t look over saturated to me at all and your whites in the white water look well done.
If you have it I might add a smidgen of canvas to the bottom of the image also but not a big deal.
There are a couple of things that catch my eye immediately and they are the branch in the URC which has been mentioned, the leaning tree on the left side of the image, and the already mentioned dark stream on the left. Here is a quick redo regarding those three nits:
With the tree on the left removed
Thanks @David_Haynes, and all the rest of you, for your comments. They’ve been very helpful. I uploaded two new variants at the top. In the first I got rid of the protruding branch on the right. I did not remove the tree branch on the left but I cloned out the bright spot on its trunk to make it less noticeable. i also brightened the water on the left a bit.
I unfortunately don’t have any more pixels on the left. I do have some more on the bottom, and in variation 2, I show a little more of it. This part of the stream is out of the main flow, which is why I didn’t include it. Still not sure what I prefer.
@David_Haynes has cloned out the tree on the left masterfully. Usually I fear that the branches left after a trunk is removed will really stand out. But in this case they look as though they might be connected to the tree further left. Another words they don’t appear to be suspended in mid air.
I’m not much of a believer in this but some people claim that flipping an image can change perception drastically. Since we read from left to right would it be better for the stream to enter from the left frame?
Hi Will,
This image captures the greens of spring beautifully. I also very much like your chosen SS as it has created some lovely details and textures in the water, especially that larger plume where the two streams converge. @David_Haynes rework took care of what was going to be my couple of suggestions. This is a wonderful relaxing scene; very nicely done.
