This is an image taken in the Gifford Pinchot NF earlier this week after a light dusting of snow. It was quite the trek down to here but boy was it worth the effort. This was my first attempt at focus stacking and I was happy with how easy it was.
Sony A7iii, 24mm GM, 4 images focus stacked f8, 0.4 seconds, ISO 100
Edited in LR and focused stacked in PS
I would like any CC or feedback in general on the image. I absolutely loved the light dusting where only some of the rocks in the foreground have snow and others are bare.
ig @upperleft_jeff
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Your shutter speed and processing looks good to me.
Compositionally I do find the fallen log distracting. Would you have another shot in front of the log? Thatās a subject view I know but I find the logs position to disrupt the flow from front to back
Thanks, @Nathan_Klein. There are 2 routes into this falls, both are bushwhacks that are pretty steep. We came from the right side of this image and I suppose you could drop down to the creek earlier but to get even to this spot was a lot of effort. Coming from the left side I have seen images of just the upper tier where you can cut out the log. There would be significant spray though to deal with I would imagine as the falls is 208 feet with both tiers.
Jeff, these look like wonderful conditions to capture this waterfall, the snow on the rocks is great. I am good with the fallen log, to me it does not act as a barrier to viewing the falls. i also like your placement of the rocks in the foreground, they are well balanced.
From a composition standpoint, I would suggest cropping to include less of the featureless sky, it is so bright that it draws your eye away form the rest of the scene. The brightness of the sky competes for attention with the waterfall in my view.
From a processing standpoint, i think you have some issues with dynamic range. The deepest shadows are too blocked up for my taste, I would pull back on the black point to reveal more detail. The highlights in the main waterfall, the hidden misty falls in the ULC and the flow in the foreground look a bit hot to me. If you did not bracket for exposure, this image might be a candidate for ādouble processingā in Lightroom. Create a virtual copy in Lightroom, and process one copy for the highlights, and the other copy for the shadows, and then blend them in photoshop. An approach like this could do a better job of balancing the dynamic range in the image.
I also think the flow in the water has lost detail due to too long a shutter speed. When I shoot waterfalls, I often bracket shutter speeds to get an optimal amount of detail in the water, and then blend that bracket into another image with a better exposure for the rest of the scene.
I also think this image might work well in B&W, where you can more easily get away with a high level of contrast.
I will agree with @Ed_McGuirkās suggestions. May I ask you a question? Why did you feel the need to focus stack? It seems that unless the FG rocks are closer than they appear to be, that at 24mm @ f/8 that everything except the rock in the LRC, which is not an important part of the image, should have been sharp.
As far as the crop goes, I can certainly try and take away part of that sky. The foreground had a lot more of that icy moss covered rock in the LRC but got cut out from the original crop due to some messy sticks and twigs that I took out because I thought it was distracting. I focused stacked 1) because I never had before and wanted to learn how and had the images to do it 2) Once I looked at all the images none of them were in complete focus from front to back, mainly when I would look at the moss covered rock on the bottom right.
I wanted to try and leave as much of the snow frosted trees on the upper left corner as possible which is why I left as much sky in as I did
After looking at the image with fresh eyes I do like it a lot better when I bring up the blacks a little bit and just a tad more lifting of the shadows.
I like the scene and I think youāve composed well. The log doesnāt bother me so much - itās one of those things where, āit is what it isā¦ā and is part of the natural landscape; plus it adds a little tension and dynamic.
These are most difficult lighting conditions to be successful in - the dynamic range is tough and even when viewing in person, the extreme between white snow and black shadows are just tough photographically. I would even say that the presence of the snow/frost is a bit lost for me as the viewer simply because I wasnāt there to experience and have the memory.
I think you did well with the focus stack (I know exactly what youāre saying when you were wanting to try for the first timeā¦ I used it all the time now!) I also understand you were eliminating some distracting elements, and what I think what is left of that frosted boulder in the LRC now becomes a bit of a distraction. One of those times where either I want to see more of something, or none at all.
Iām curious what the sky looked like with a lower exposure; if you are focus blending you are on the slippery slope to blending dynamic range.
The snow dusting is special, and does add a lot. I agree though, that as is Iād probably sacrifice the upper left to reduce the focus on that bright sky; it does rob from the beauty below.
I feel the pain on the log. They are so common here in the northwest, and definitely a natural part of the scene, but with that said I hate the way they break the flow in my waterfall images and tend to avoid them as much as humanly possible.
@Ed_McGuirk and anyone else curious about the rework. Here is what I got. I lifted the blacks a little bit as well as the shadows. I lowered the highlights just a little bit more as well to try and make the bright water in the middle left a little bit less distracting.
I think removing the sky does help out a lot for me. I cleaned up with the spot removal tool a stick, not the best job and could certainly be cleaner but as this is not a portfolio piece I figured it was good enough.
Curious on everyones thoughts. I like including more of the foreground on this image with the whisping water over the rocks.
So cool Jeff to see this waterfall on this format. I am from Portland and have been shooting waterfalls for years. I went to this waterfall a couple of months ago. We came down from the left, it seemed more direct even though we meander finding our way down - it was my first trip. It was steep, but there was very little rock hopping involved. I posted my shot on 500px. I didnāt like my processing and will revisit the shot sooner rather than later.
Anyway on this shot, I agree the spray would be extreme. But might be possible coming down from the right side, with an umbrella. I have managed some extreme spray in the NW with the use of an umbrella. I have even had the help of a friend operating the umbrella for me. Give that a try. But to tell you the truth I havenāt seen a non log shot from here. There may not be a spot to go - no rocks or the water is to deep. I have had hundreds of shoots at waterfalls and I always leave some sky, maybe more depending on if there is a sunburst etcā¦ I think the colors look very natural and are great. My style of processing would be to take some of the hi lights out of the rocks and put some around the brighter spots in the trees to draw the eye through. I have included a crop that I would do. Allowing some sky and using the smaller rocks as foreground " encasing" the bottom of the shot. None the less it is a great shot and kudos for even getting there. It is a place that very few have been to because of the conditions.
Jeff, the lower contrast in your rework helps. I think you cropped too tight to the top of the waterfall in your rework, and prefer instead how @Greg_Stokesbury handled it in his rework.
Iām a big fan of āLess is Moreā in photography. While the moss covered rock in the LRC is interesting, I also like what Greg did with the bottom of the image, it simplifies the image significantly. I think showing more of the moss covered rock is ātoo much of a good thingā, it pulls attention away from the center of the image.
Thanks @Greg_Stokesbury! Your crop does look great, Iām going to have to go back and play with it a little bit more to include just a little bit of sky to balance out the shot. So you know what it took to get down hereā¦heck of a trek!
Thank you everyone for the CC, it is very appreciated.
