The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I had been waiting a year for a chance at a redo on this scene and this is the end result. In June 2023 we had perfect conditions with light rains and for some inexplicable reason I only shot a vertical and cut off the left side of the bowl of water.
There are not a lot of options for shooting this waterfall and most people shoot it head on; which is very nice; but I wanted something a little different. You used to be able to crawl out onto the rock, but a wood fence with heavy wire helps discourage that behavior.
This is the upper section and you can just see the beginning of where it plummets over the rock edge and into the narrow gorge.
Specific Feedback
The conditions this trip were not as nice as 2023 which brings me to my question. Have I burned down the dry rock enough? Of course if you notice anything else please feel free to mention it as it is always appreciated.
Technical Details
Nikon Z7, Nikon 24-200 @ 74 mm, f 11 @ 1/4 sec, ISO 800, Kase magnetic CPL, cable release & tripod.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Nice perspective and creamy water with just enough detail.
The rocks set it off very well. Hard to tell… is this a small imtimate waterfall, or something larger?
Thanks so much for your thoughts @SandyR-B. I believe the upper section; which falls into the punchbowl; is five feet and the next plunge is twenty feet.
Ed the cleanness, sharpness, contrasts, color rendering are perfect as usual. You are a master for this kind of works. For me is perfect also the contrast in the dry rock.
Ed, I hope I am totally wrong ,as I am not use to making images of waterfalls. I just like your composition. Those round lines of the rocks in the background and the falling water. Now my nit picking remark.
I had to look more than twice to see that the black under in the middle was water. The other blacks are too black to me. Mho.
I made a rework too show what I mean. The blacks less black. Still I hope to be totally wrong !!
Ed, there is a lot to like about this image. The upper ¾ s of the frame is really nice. I love the subdued palette of greens and dun coloured rock and sand. The diffuse light is superb. But I’m having a lot of trouble with the bottom quarter of the frame, breaking up the image rather than containing it . To me it feels like the bottom of the image doesn’t belong. This is especially true of the bottom middle to right corner. The rock is so bright (relatively speaking) that it can’t help but draw my eye (i.e., visual mass) and, really there is nothing there. This isn’t a matter of a crop but is more about the composition - it feels to me like you tried to include too much. I would really like to see an image just of that little grotto with the falls and the light on the gorgeous rock and foliage. Do you have one like that?
PS - Small nit. There is a bit of foliage (or maybe just light) peeking out from the upper left corner that you might want to clone out.
@Ben_van_der_Sande: No problem Ben. I appreciate you taking the time to do a rework with your suggestions.
@Kerry_Gordon: I am not a big fan of dry rocks when shooting waterfalls just for that reason as they are a little brighter. We had perfect conditions; a light rain; in 2023. The closet thing I have without trying to crop is this image from 2023 where I clipped off the front of the punchbowl. The difference with the rock is like night and day. BTW thanks for picking up on the foliage in the ULC. I totally missed that.
i really like this intimate view of Sabbaday, Ed. There’s a hint of mystery as to where the water is exiting to at the bottom. PerfectSS I feel. The only nits I have are alraedy mentioned. On my monitor the shadows are quite dark and the dry rock is a little distracting. This may sound crazy but I thnk it’s quite doable. the next time we go there, we can carry a small lightweight plastic bucket to dowse the dry rocks. LOL I tried burning the rockin a littlebut was unsuccessful. The colors just didn’t match.
Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions @Michael_Lowe; always appreciated. As funny as that sounds I have thought about carrying a small plastic bucket with me on more than one occasion for just that purpose. I think an empty one gallon drywall tub; with the wide mouth; would be perfect.
Lovely image! It’s a wonder the rock had time to dry given how much rain the Whites have been getting… Given the orientation of the falls, the sun looks to have been up a fair bit which does enhance the greenery above and to the right of the falls, it is also shining strongly on the rock in question brightening it as well as drying it. An earlier visit or with more cloud cover/softer light might make it easier to get the evenness of tone you are looking for.
Thanks for your thoughts @guy; always appreciated. Unfortunately the four days in June when my brother and I were there we had no rain. On this particular day we arrived around 5:30 PM so that the sun would be lower in the sky and hopefully behind the trees and not shining directly on the falls. Just for comparison here is an image from 2023; that I like much better; when we had rain and much better conditions. BTW, you have some wonderful images on your website.
Awesome image from last year!
I was camping in Franconia Notch the last week of june (fishing not photography alas…) and nearly got washed off the mountain several times by the torrential rains.
I have had my best luck at Sabbaday doing an early morning shoot, right after shooting the sunrise at Hancock.
Thanks for your kind words about my website! It needs some new work urgently…
I think an empty one gallon drywall tub; with the wide mouth; would be perfect.