PNW untouched
Any feedback is welcome! This is my first post on here for an image critique. I want to know what you think. I can take criticism well and just want to get better.
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
Sony a7iii on a tripod in vertical orientation
Sony 24mm f1.4 g master at f11 / ISO 100 / 3.2 second shutter
CPL
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IG: @upperleft_jeff
You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.
Jeff: First, Welcome! Glad you’ve posted this image. It is a beautiful scene and I’m always a sucker for the lush greens of the PNW since I live in the desert Southwest. I really like the silky water shots and as such like your choice of shutter speed. I think the overall flow works pretty well for the image. In a perfect world I would have liked a bit more room all the way around and would have preferred that the large mossy log didn’t intersect with the top of the waterfall. Maybe a few steps to the right would have solved that, but don’t know if that was an option. Looking forward to more of your work and participation her on NPN.
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Welcome to NPN, Jeff, you are off a great start, hoping to see more of your work here over time. The processing here looks pretty good, the greens and yellows look great, which not always easy to do, but well handled here. The very deepest blacks have lost detail (rocks, underside of log), I might suggest backing off the black point a little. Midtones and highlights look great to me however, leave them as is, make your black point lift to only affect the deepest shadows.
In terms of composition, I really like the concept of the waterfall and log taking the eye from the center to the left, then having the stream reverse the viewers eye back to the right. It makes a very dynamic composition. Like @Keith_Bauer, I have a minor issue with the log and the top of the waterfall merging. I think how much we choose to show of the tops of waterfalls can be one of the trickiest things about waterfall photography, some folks think shutter speed is the trickiest thing, but to me its the tops of waterfalls. Like Keith says, a little more breathing room all around might help, but then I don’t know what distractions lurk at the top of the falls. I think you minimized the distraction factor of the log by leaving a lot of room above and to the left of it, the closer that log is to the corner, the more distracting it becomes. i do think the log/top merger is only a very minor issue, overall I like this image a lot.
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Great post Jeff! I like the lushness of this scene. It’s a great mood with a dynamic composition.
If it were me I’d shorten the shutter speed as the stream has lost texture. Some prefer no texture in flowing water however. I’d have chosen a shutter speed of around a quarter of a second to maintain texture.
I’d also consider cloning out the stock in the stream in the lower right corner
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Jeff, Welcome to NPN and what a beautiful first post! I really like the setup here, it’s somewhat unique in terms of the angle of view to the main falls as well as the water running side to side - rather than towards the viewer - if that makes sense.
I find the greens/yellows to be processed very well; lush and vibrant as most experience when in these parts of the world. I think the presence of the log is “ok” although ideally I wish it wasn’t. But you’ve included it in the best way you could have (short of knowing what options you had.) I’m ok with the merge with the falls up top; again another aspect that makes this a bit unique.
This hasn’t been mentioned but I notice that the water tumbling around the rocks is a bit blue, which is fine, but the color balance in general of the vertical falls, which is warmer, is different in these two areas. Lots of discussion of white/color balance of late and it’s entirely possible that where the light is falling, areas in shadow, etc., that there can be warm and cool colors in the same frame. What am I trying to say? I have no idea. I just noticed the color difference. no right or wrong here.
I do think the contrast is slightly heavy which goes along with Ed’s comment on backing off the black point a little. It’s not that detail is needed in the under side of the log or some of the rocks, but I think the lack of detail “adds up” in the overall scene.
The only small suggestions are just clean up things. I would clone the stick as Nathan mentions; as well as the small stick on the LR, lower right edge. Very small, but drew my eye, and that’s a very small, but bright leaf in the center of the large mossy area on the right. That’s getting picky…
A fine first post and we look forward to more images and for your participation.
Lon
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Thank you, @Keith_Bauer! I cannot wait to get down to your area and explore. I also like a silky stream over the rocks. There were some more down trees and branches behind me so to get rid of all that clutter I was sort of limited to this spot.
Thanks, Ed. I went back and reworked it and wow how taking a day to get fresh eyes really helps! I also took @Nathan_Klein and @Lon_Overacker advice and figured out how to get rid of those twigs and get rid of that blue in the water. Looks much better now.
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It’s looking good Jeff. I’d send it to the printing lab!
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Jeff,
Your rework is awesome! It’s amazing how much very small and subtle changes and attention to detail can improve an image. Your rework is impressive. Great job!
Thanks for taking the time to rework and post.
Lon
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Jeff, the rework looks good to me. With the lower contrast and increased shadow detail, I actually find myself okay with the the log for some reason. I think the strong contrast of the log in the original drew my eye to that corner of the image, and made it a distraction. With the lower contrast, my eye is less pulled to the log, and i now view the log as an element that frames the falls.
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Wonderful lush greens! I love all the mosses and the ferns in the URC too. Beautiful discussion here and I see that the new upload solved the things I noticed too and it looks great! I tend to choose a faster shutterspeed too, like Nathan suggested, but that’s personal taste.
Thank you @Nathan_Klein 
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@Lon_Overacker thank you! It is crazy how something so small can make such a difference. Learning how to let an image “marinate” is something I am trying really hard to do.
@Ed_McGuirk awesome! The log definitely seems to blend in more to the scene.
@Ron_Jansen the fern in the URC was one of my favorite parts of this scene. I love when plants just pop right out of a rock wall!
Welcome Jeff. Little late but I just saw your post. I am also from the NW and am a waterfall lover. I love the overall color and brightness. I might pull back just a tad on the yellows. I don’t have a problem with the shutter speed. I have been known to love the effect of a 10 stop and water from time to time. My biggest critique I guess would be the balance. The right seems “heavy”. I keeping looking to the left for more. But as I have found out many times that may not be possible. Some of these arenas are very small. Maybe my eye just wants to see completeness of that little piece of water on the lower left? I believe someone mention breathing room? Overall a great little waterfall and shot.
