The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
This image is from a recent trip that my brother and I spent in the White Mountains of NH. While there we met up with Ed McGuirk and Carl Zuzarte and had a wonderful time capturing images from the area.
I am following up on my brother’s last post of “Blackwater Falls Closeup” to see whether anyone else notices the animal’s face in the sculpted rock along the Ammonoosuc River. I found the stone along this section of the river to be quite fascinating and beautiful with it’s varied shapes. I could have spent more time in this location, but alas we had other spots to check out. I did come away with three or four images that I was happy with so I will be sure to visit this location again the next time I am in NH.
Specific Feedback
How does the processing look, particularly the shadows? Does my chosen SS work for you? I wanted to convey the water as the power that sculpted these rocks and I thought this SS worked better than a shorter one. Any other thoughts you have are always welcome.
Technical Details
Nikon Z7, Nikon 24-200 @ 55 mm, f 11 @ .4 sec, ISO 100, Kase magnetic CPL, cable release & tripod
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Ed, A truly fine look at this small cascade of water working it’s way thru this serpentine rock formation. I can buy in on your thoughts about the shadows or darkness. Maybe some more thoughts of processing there for another look see. However, the processing choices are personal no matter what…the scene works just fine as is…
Hey Ed - very elegant indeed. I love the muted tones and the side lit detail. I think the shutter speed for the little water fall on the left is perfect. In the other areas I might have gone a tad faster - ⅛ - ¼ sec just to give a little more sense of the hydrology and a little more texture in the foamy centre. But that is so much about personal taste that it’s barely worth mentioning. This is a very evocative image not in the least because the rock does indeed have the feel of fossilized bone (I can definitely see the face of some sort of Jurassic raptor in profile at top middle to right (the big round hole being the eye), by the way and, oh wait, there is another face of maybe a lion in the centre of the falls).
Ed, those shadows work well for me. Well done.
Of more importance to me is the contrast between the flowing water (especially the fall on the LHS) and the sharpness of the rocks. The big cat is intriguing!
Ed I like the composition with the water flowing in and out of the image however for me. I feel a faster exposure would of allowed for more detail in the water in the centre of the image. As it is this large white mass is drawing the viewers eye away from the rest of the scene.
Awesome shot, Ed. Glad I got lost and led us down the wrong pathway.
I love the movement through the image from the UL and down and out through the LR. The rocks are b eautiful with all their shapes and designs. I love the contrast between the small rivulet of water and the two larger cascades around the “lion’s” head. Contrary to what someone else said, I don’t see a big blob of white on my monitor. I see plenty of little midtones in the water giving it a sense of texture and power. It is my practice to err on the side of a slower SS than to risk totally ruining a shot with a too fast SS which in MHO looks horrendous. I get a sense of the passage of time from the image. Imagining all the eons that have passed while the moving water slowly does it’s thing, shaping and sculpting the rock.
Ed, I’m probably over the top here with my changes, but it is such a neat composition I had to play with a bit. Please allow for my old Velvia mentality here…
Ed, the (looks like a big cat) animal head shows clearly. I think your ss choice works well as it shows good motion along with some detail in the splash. The darker areas show good detail in the larger view.
I like the composition very much. I don’t think the water in the center needs more texture or detail. No real criticisms to offer. If you haven’t tried black and white I’d consider it; I don’t think there’s a significant role for color to play here.
Neat lion’s head! A lovely cascade of swirling water, and the re-post is an improvement regarding the detail.
I’m yearning a bit for more of the water at the bottom, though I realize your intent was to showcase the rocks.
Very sweet!
@Kerry_Gordon and @ian7: Here is another version with a SS of 1/20 sec for comparison. I like it also, but it seems that the details in the water clash with the small cascade on the left.
@Michael_Lowe: Taking the wrong path worked out quite well indeed!
@Paul_Breitkreuz: Don’t mind at all; thanks for another direction this could go. I do miss Velvia now and then. :
@Don_Peters: I will play around with the B&W and see what I come up with.
Ed the details in this shot are fantastic, especially how the rock formations interact with the flowing water. The Lion’s Head adds a really unique element to the image!
The framing and perspective here are brilliant, effectively highlighting the rock’s textures and the water’s smooth flow. The exposure is spot-on, capturing the silky motion of the water without losing the details in the rock. This gives the image a great visual balance, keeping the eye engaged across the scene.
Thanks so much for the kind words @Saundie; always appreciated. My brother and I found this unique spot by chance when we got off the trail as we were following the Ammonoosuc River in the White Mountains of NH.
