Since I do a lot of long exposure work in general, for this Weekly Challenge I thought I’d share some of my longest exposures. This one is 30 seconds in almost complete dark at Senter Falls in NH in November 2012. This isn’t the main cascade which I’ve posted shots of here, but lower down - the middle cascade. I have another cool shot of this section that I’ll post for this week’s theme, too. I really should have had a headlamp with me for this, but I didn’t and so scrambled out onto the rocks below the falls in the dark and shot in the full roar of the water. It was great and I happened to be showing another photographer the falls for the first time.
With water LEs I tend to want to make some kind of contrast between it and the land it courses through. For this one extreme ‘featureless’ water contrasts with the rough texture of the rock.
Specific Feedback Requested
Ideas and thoughts about processing are welcome - I may have some other angles in the files, but I can’t shoot it again easily, lol.
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Tripod and…maybe a CPL but I hardly needed a ND that’s for sure.
Finished in Lr with the updated process (originally done in v.3). Started with lens correction and the B&W conversion. I used a lot of local adjustments to manage tonalities and the differences between the silky water and the craggy rock.
This looks really good. Nice job on the conversion and the water flow looks good silky. I might burn the water a bit the LLC around that rock, as it seems to fight a bit with the general image flow from top left to bottom right. No other processing thoughts.
Thanks @Harley_Goldman - I did take down the lower corner quite a bit, but could do more. I even thought about using CAF to try to eliminate it, but I think it anchors that corner and echoes the opposite side. Balanced? Oh the decisions we can make now.
Wonderful very long exposure! The silkiness of the water and the low key rocks do suggest very low light – maybe even moonlight. I love the shallow angle view up the river with great DOF. I like the rock in the LLC as it provides an anchor and points toward the falls. I might try evening out the lighter and darker areas there, to make it a little less of an eye magnet.
I think you need the T-shirt I just bought. It says: I’m pretty confident my last words will be, well, s**t, that didn’t work.
Thanks @Diane_Miller & @David_Bostock - oh yeah, I need a t-shirt like that, too. Keeps things interesting that’s for sure!
I’ve darkened the area in the LLC more, especially in the water. I used a radial filter and adjusted the size and the interior feathering and positioned it over more of the water. Better???
It was so colorless, David, that going to monochrome seemed like a no brainer. Especially with this much actual black and white present. The other shot of this was definitely all about the color. I just posted it this morning.
I wouldn’t darken that corner, but would reduce its contrast so it’s closer to that of the blurred water toward the center. Not perfect, but you can see the idea.
