The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Back on my perch in the Prairie river. Amazing what a difference 22 days makes. With the suggestions from the first image in my head, I made this second one. The compositions are pretty darn close, but oh, the colors are changed. The fallen leaves and golden foliage have obscured some elements that stand out more in the earlier photo which I find very interesting.
Specific Feedback
Processing ideas welcome. I have a few other slightly different compositions as well as shots from other parts of the river. It’s my favorite location. Hope you aren’t sick of it!
Technical Details
Tripod & CPL
Lr to adjust the crop that I framed in camera with the 16:9 overlay - the G9 RAW file includes the whole thing so I can fiddle with it after the fact. WB adjustment using eyedropper - autumn photos can run muddy colors if the wb is too warm. Messed with Calibration & HSL panels to finesse more. Masks to adjust luminosity to lead the eye. Denoise AI on 40%, added a touch of sharpening after that.
Photoshop for some remove tool magic and some dodging and burning through masks and with the dehaze action in TK9.
Of the two, I prefer the latest. Why? I love the leaves on the mossy rocks and the increased fall colors, and the left, lower corner does not draw my attention. Very beautiful. Can’t wait to see one from later in the fall.
I agree with @Jim_Gavin . Great place to shoot, I understand why it is a favorite location.
The right amount of motion in the water, not too milky. I might even prefer a slightly faster shutter speed to keep more dynamics in the water. Beautiful colors. I like the moment in autumn that there still is a hint of the summer greens combined with autumn yellow, brown and red and there are not too many bare trees. A classic image, of course, but I hope that I never lose the emotion, to see the beauty in it. No need to chase “new” perspectives as far as I’m concerned.
Thanks @Jim_Gavin & @Han_Schutten - yeah, a fall scene is pretty hard to beat. It won’t last much longer as it’s usually pretty short here in northern Wisconsin and we’re getting a couple of days of storms which will strip the branches pretty quickly. This is about as gorgeous as it will get given that. But I’ll see. It’s not far to get there from my house.
The shutter speed was a tough call. It wasn’t very bright out and I needed to use a polarizer so I left the lens in the upper range of its sweet spot and upped the ISO a bit so it wouldn’t be too filmy. I’d have had to up the ISO more or open the lens more in order to shorten it which I could have done, but didn’t.
I also love this early fall with the green and yellow that you mention, Han. Some plants hang on longer and provide some great contrast and depth to photos. As I said, it doesn’t last long and by mid-October it’s done and we’re into bare branches and dormant plants. Kind of blah until it snows. But it will in October and will stick around in November. October snow always melts.
The recent view is a lovely, inviting scene showing a good looking stream and some nice warm fall colors. While the late sumer view is also nicely inviting, it’s lacking the warmth that the fall colors add.
Thanks @Mark_Seaver & @Diane_Miller - surprisingly the thunderstorm yesterday didn’t strip the trees too much, so there might be left in the fall colors for a while longer. I could be tempted to go back again. I just wonder if I can get by a hornet’s nest bigger than my head that is quite near the “trail”. The day I took the early photo, I didn’t dare as I saw many residents flying in and out and around and that’s all I’d need is to alarm them.
Well they don’t so much hibernate as die. Only the fertile queen overwinters which is pretty much the norm for all bees and wasps. We haven’t had any hard frosts yet so the nest is still active. 80 degrees yesterday and today.
I’ve shot this river in winter and it’s equally beautiful and interesting. And yesterday I finally got to its headwaters - a pair of spring-fed lakes. I plan to paddle these maybe next year. Tried to a few years ago, but the roads (and I use the term road loosely, in the end it’s a glorified ATV track) leading in were made a quagmire due to logging operations. Didn’t dare chance it even in my Jeep, but now the road is packed down again, the loggers are in a different section and haven’t done much damage even with the recent rains. So I think next year I can do it. Days are a little too short right now given the traveling time.
