Mineral Creek. San Juan Mountains, Colorado

[HarveyAbernathey]

Critique Style Requested: Initial Reaction

Please share your immediate response to the image before reading the photographer’s intent (obscured text below) or other comments. The photographer seeks a genuinely unbiased first impression.

Questions to guide your feedback

Working the flowing water in the mineral-laden creek within the San Juan Mountains in Colorado required me to sit for awhile waiting for the dappled light to hit certain portions of the creek while I was playing with ND filters and shutter speeds to find the balance between the soft flow and texture in the water.

Other Information

Please leave your feedback before viewing the blurred information below, once you have replied, click to reveal the text and see if your assessment aligns with the photographer. Remember, this if for their benefit to learn what your unbiased reaction is.

Image Description

I know that the aspect of soft water in imagery is a subjective process, and this is the one rendition which best fits my vision.

Technical Details

Nikon Z6II with 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens; 1/6s at f/11, -1.0EV, ISO 200 @ 57mm with 6-9stop ND filter

Specific Feedback

I do wonder a bit about the contrast and light balance on the rocks and appreciate some guidance on that aspect.

[Matt_Payne]

Hey knowing this location this is pretty awesome! I love the color rendering here.

[Tony_Sweet]

First Impression: Before reading anything about the image, I questioned the color of the water, but after knowing that it is a mineral spring, no problem. Good composition, always a good idea, if you can, to have water entering, running through, and exiting the frame, nicely done here. Excellent framing and balance with most of the visual weight where the water is exiting the frame. Especially like the anchor at the bottom right corner. However, to me, it makes more sense, visually, to flip the image horizontally. Consider that on the original, the eye is pulled to the large boulder near the center, then pulls the eye to the bright water, to the left. On the flipped image, the eye goes to the same boulder but then moves to the bright water to the right, then out of the frame. To me, a much easier and more natural visual flow, moving, in effect, from left to right, just like we read in our culture. Outstanding image.