Ricketts Glen has 21 waterfalls and it would be hard for me to pick a favorite, but Mohawk Falls would have to rank right up there on the list. If you start up top on the Ganoga Glen trail it is the first waterfall you come to. At 37’ it is mid pack as far as height goes, but I find the tiers quite beautiful and photogenic. I have never crossed over to the other side to shoot the falls so I am going to try and do that in the next couple of months.
As always thanks for taking a moment to leave a thought.
What technical feedback would you like if any?
All C&C welcome
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
All C&C welcome
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
Nikon D800, Nikon 17-35 @17mm, f 18 @ 0.4 sec, ISO 800. CPL, cable release & tripod
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Ed,
This is gorgeous. I’m a sucker for a waterfall photo. I don’t see any issues with the processing. I agree with leaving some glare on the rocks rather than polarizing all of it away.
The composition looks nice to me. I think having the main falls and forest beyond taking up just the upper 1/4 of the frame was a good decision. The cascade over the foreground rocks with the leaves sprinkled throughout is the star of the show for me. While I think this composition works well, I wonder if it might be even more effective if you would have maybe moved over to the right just a bit to capture more of the larger cascade on the right. I’m envisioning a more panoramic view (maybe a wider lens cropped panoramic or stitching a pano across the scene) to start around where the cascade on the left starts and stretching further to the right. The wide view could be very dramatic.
Someday, I’ll get to spend some time back east and wander around to find scenes like this. The way the water falls over all the ledges of metamorphic rock (which I’m assuming this is - could be wrong!) is so beautiful. This is lovely and the smattering of orange leaves gives a nice texture over the flowing water and rock.
The water looks a bit greenish to me - probably reflected light off all those trees. I brought it into ACR and did a white balance on the water. Since the main line of the composition is that dark area right up the middle, leading to the falls, I’m thinking a bit off the right would make the frame more balanced. So, after the white balance, and because I couldn’t help myself, I did that crop, and some lighting adjustments to make the middle area and background falls more prominent. Anyway, this is lovely, and I’m jealous of your scenery!
Ed, these rock ledges are so interesting, I can see why you love shooting at Ricketts Glen. I’ll have to get down there some day, if this pandemic ever comes to an end.
I like the in-your face composition of the ledges, and how you made the rock ledge the star of this show, while keeping the falls and woods as secondary elements. I really like the changes that @Bonnie_Lampley made in her rework. Her choices to make the water and purer white, and to add contrast in the highlights, just adds a certain snap to this image that increases it’s impact.
The image has a somewhat unusual composition for a waterfall, in that the the two main streams of water both flow out of the side edges of the frame, rather than the bottom edge. The stream on the right especially pulls my eye out of the frame. So I like what Bonny did with her crop, it helps keep my attention on the rock ledge in the center.
Thanks so much for your thoughts @Adam_Bolyard, @Bonnie_Lampley and @Ed_McGuirk; always appreciated. @Adam_Bolyard: Here is a repost of another image where I moved farther to the right. @Bonnie_Lampley: Thanks for taking the time to do a rework. I like it very much. Funny you mentioned the green color cast of the water as I had already added some magenta to it. I thought I got it, but after seeing your rework I could tell I did not go far enough. @Ed_McGuirk: If you ever make it down one day and want some company shoot me an email.
Ed, I apologize for the late reply, this one was missed in my frequent NPN visits. I think the modified scene is better. This wonderful foreground stream with just the right amount of blur leads my eye to…that incredible waterfall! And what a backdrop. The slight reflection on the rocks is a nice touch. As a resident of Philadelphia, Ricketts Glen is not far, but alas career and family seldom allows the freedom necessary for the trip!
I am a fan of the original crop, as I enjoy seeing the left-side stream as strongly as the right. I am in accord with Bonnies lighting adjustments.
The rework does address my one concern, that the scene was canted and needed to be rotated counterclockwise. That rotation also nipped out the bright area the top center.
Sorry so late…dang what a beautiful scene! I really like how the top of the falls is more level in your last post. The previous/original felt like I was “falling” (pun intended) to the right a bit.
Also, I really agree with a pano comp here in order to not sacrifice either major cascade out the side of the frame. I really like the path up to the falls. This scene has tremendous potential! Either of your shots is a success to my eye.
Many thanks for your thoughts @Marc_McCann, @Eva_McDermott, @Dick_Knudson and @Jim_McGovern; always appreciated. Bonnie’s version works very nicely. I shot several compositions that particular day so I do have some different options.
@Marc_McCann: If you do manage to swing some free time try to make it during the week and during or after some rainfall. I know, easier said than done.
@Jim_McGovern: Funny that you mentioned the tilt to the right as they do actually fall that way. I tried to level another version and it looked strange to me although I probably should have done a 0.5 CCW rotation as my camera level seems to be off about that much when I have a horizon in the scene.
