My wife always says, “Keep your eyes on the road,” when I start scanning the environment for possible photo opportunities. I am glad you found this and are still safe.
I prefer the color version because the blue in the water and the green leaves add a nice tonality. I could imagine you increasing the contrast by increasing the highlights in the image. Some dodging on a few leaves and areas in the water (where water hits the stones) would work. Your black-and-white version has more contrast that would work similarly in your color version.
What I really like is your composition: the waterfall is dead center and the leaves create interest by breaking up the static of the central placement of your main object. This works together nicely.
I prefer the colofed version as well. The right side of the b&w is solid black so I would raise the higher tones a bit to add some information there. What I like in this waterfall the most is the lower part which has a stepwise series of cascades that widen as they drop (almost like a cake). The image leans left a bit in terms of balance.
One idea for the future is to not make a portrait of a fall but include additional elements. Adam Gibbs talks about that here:
When presented with both a color and B&W version of the same image I’m almost always drawn to the B&W version. And while I do like the B&W version, I prefer the color version and it’s less drastic contrast. It’s softer and the texture of the water is beautiful. I also like being able to see the right side of the image and in the B&W it’s pure black. The inclusion of that branch in the ULC is interesting. Most of the time I wouldn’t think something like this would work but it does in this image. I very much like the bottom of the waterfall where the water cascades over several smaller rocks and then enters the streambed with even smaller rocks. I love that texture. This is beautifully composed dead center. The light is magical and soft and a little moody and I appreciate the added depth in the color version.
I do like what you did with the B&W as well but I would think about adding back just a little bit of information so it’s not jet black. I don’t think you need much but just bring a few bits of information back to it although that may not be your intention at all and get that. You purposefully added in that black and it does look good. Both of these are winners so I am truly nit picking here to come up with suggestions for you. Nicely seen and shot.
@Danny_Laureys Great find! I do prefer the color version although the b&w definitely stands on its own. Normally, having a single branch intrude like that would be bothersome but in this example, it just works. The green leaves provide such a nice contrast to the rest of the scene.
I know some of you think that the B&W version is too dark on the sides. But this was done on purpose. Sometimes I see waterfalls differently in B&W. I see them as a minimalistic photograph.
