I often spend a few hours in the Fall on this small stream because of both the high, hardwood foliage along the far bank and the amazing current. Both, of course, are not guaranteed—a day with no light or a week too late or high water or low—all mean what I seek will be missing. But I’m often stunned by the results of standing in the moving water, watching Fall happen, finding the abstractions that are pleasing.
Specific Feedback Requested
When I come back with maybe 200 images from this place, it is sometimes challenging to sort out what works and what does not. I’d value any thoughts you have on how that process can result in finding the best of the lot.
Technical Details
Sony 6000, 1/200, f/13, 120mm, ISO5000 with adjustments to tone curves cropping and sharpening in LR.
It is a great image, I like it a lot. My only comment for the moment is related to focus. LL corner is in sharp focus and UR is out of focus. As it is almost impossible to have everything in focus, even with the higher f/, I would experiment the inverse, a very shallow depht of field and slightly defocus everything. I don’t know if it would work, but it would be a good experiment. Or a slower shutter speed to get some overall blur.
Hi John
First, this is really beautiful. It is incredible to me that so many shiny colors were to be found here, in water. At first I thought this was an oil slick, the colors being so pretty.
I also like the pattern of swirls…I see three or four of these emanating from the bottom of the frame, going toward the upper we left, getting successively smaller. I really like these swirls.
I can only imagine how hard it must be to sort through 200 images like this, most of which will be abstract. Maybe sorting them by tones or colors would be one way? Or also by patterns…either the presence or lack there if, or by similarity of patterns?
By the way, I’m glad to hear that you are standing in the water for these. That’s pretty cool…getting right into the scene!
This is a very nice, painterly scene. I think the saturation here is warranted because of its abstract nature, and that color is an important element. I really love the swirly water texture too. I don’t know what your other exposures are like, but I don’t see anything wrong with this one. It has great structure and design to it. My only suggestion would be to add a soft vignette to just slightly darken all of the edges a tad, so that the focus is pulled towards the center more.
Thanks all for your comments, all very useful and appreciated. FYI, there is no adjustment to saturation in this! One of the reasons I am very careful while standing in the water photographing such scenes—other than slippery rocks—it that my mind gets blown by what I see and I forget where reality ends and begins.
