Maine Woods Stream


It’s been a long time since I’ve had anything to post (since well before the new version of NPN). Life has been crazy for the past year, so I haven’t gotten out to shoot very much, or work through images from last year. Things have quieted down, so I hope to get out shooting more in the near future. This is one from late September last year up in Baxter State Park, ME. I loved the remoteness of the place, and I will definitely be going back there a lot.

This day was extremely windy, so I had to use a high ISO to freeze the leaves. This image is a blend of two frames:
Water: f/11, 1/10s, ISO100
Forest: f/11, 1/80s, ISO800

I have a few things I wish were different here, but I like it overall. All comments and critiques welcome.

This includes some edits from Ed & Lon:

Hi Craig, it’s nice to see you back posting here again, I look forward to seeing more of your work.

This image is very graphic, and your composition has made effective use of strong shadow areas. I like how you used the dark forest to accentuate the glacial boulder. you used just enough of the forest to create separation of the boulder without the trees becoming a distraction. I think the reverse C-shape of the stream does a nice job of creating visual tension.

This is very nicely done, and would probably make for an interesting B&W conversion as well.

Craig,

Yes, great to see a post from you and hope to see more.

I agree with most of what Ed writes. Excellent composition with the water flowing in and around with the beautifully shaped (s-curve) rock shore shaping the flow of the stream. The contrast is a bit heavy, but as Ed mentions the darker forest up top works well in framing the scene and giving the attention to the lichen covered boulder.

If I had a wish, it might be for a diferent shutter speed in the water. Of course given the conditions, light, etc., this was probably your best choice. Any longer of a shutter speed and you would end up with much of the white water without detail and I’m not sure a faster speed would give a pleasing enough result. So, never mind.

The only suggestion I have really is a clone or crop off the top to remove the horizontal branch of bright leaves along the top left. And with those two trunks, that part kinda looks like a window or doorway. Getting rid of the leaves fixes that.

Lastly, I think the format/presentation looks great (I’m assuming a crop? good choice.)

Lon

Thanks @Ed_McGuirk and @Lon_Overacker for the comments.

Ed, I’ll take a look at a B&W conversion. It’s not something I usually do, so that could be a good exercise.

Lon, no crop on this one. I went back and found another shutter speed for the water, 1/5s, that I actually like better. I used just a couple spots from the 1/10s to bring back a few small bits that went pure white. I cloned that horizontal branch top left because I didn’t like what a crop did to the brighter leaves just touching the top edge to the left of the one you mentioned. I actually wish that branch had a little breathing room, but oh well.

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Craig,

Excellent improvements! Especially with the water. Definitely took this one up a notch. Thanks for taking the time to rework.

Lon