Please share your first response before reading the hidden notes below. The photographer is looking for an unbiased initial impression.
Feedback Focus: Artistic / Expressive
Questions for Viewers
This is a very different view of Spirit Falls that was taken a couple months ago and I’m wondering how this stacks up against the traditional view of Spirit Falls that most of you have probably seen?
How does this more intimate view play with your feelings or emotions of the scene?
The Natural Framing?
About This Image
Every year my wife and I take our three dogs and our motorhome on a Pacific Northwest trip to go see both of our Daughters who live in Washington. I try and make sure to spend at least one day with John Williams and Steve Kennedy who both live in the area. I was able to spend the better part of a day with Steve up in the northern most part of the state shooting some birds well into the afternoon and we had a great time although it wasn’t super productive.
I was then to meet up with John Williams and James Lorentson about a week later in the trip along the southern edge of Washington where we were planning on spending a day shooting some waterfalls. However, as it happened, John got called away for work so he wasn’t going to make the meet up. This gave me the opportunity to bow out myself since I had a broken toe that wasn’t healing well and although I could have spent the entire day trekking through the forests my wife convinced me to bow out. So I did.
Then my daughter decided to come over to our campsite and while visiting convinced me to at. least go to Spirit Falls and if my toe felt ok afterwards, we could go to Panther Falls. We were actually pretty tired after Spirit Falls but the toe felt pretty good so we decided to also do Panther Falls. What a mess. There were numerous log jams at the base of the falls making a capture nearly impossible unless you chose to do an extreme intimate shot.
Anyway, that was my day in southern Washington, hanging out with my daughter capturing a beautiful waterfall. I’m sure I’ll have a get together with John and James on the next trip.
Technical Details
Camera: z9
Lens: 24-120mm
Focal length: 120mm
Shutter speed: 1/4 second
Aperture: f/18
ISO: 100
Flash: no
Hand held hanging over a ledge
2 images. One for sharp details in the landscape and one for a longer shutter speed for the water manually merged in PS.
I’m really enjoying this one. The water is perfect imho. At first I thought the leaves on the right were not as sharp and crisp as those on the left, but maybe not. Might be my old eyes playing tricks on me. The framing is great. Love that color in the FG water. Looks mountain fresh. Sounds like you had a good time with family. THat’s gotta be better than spending time with boring old photographers.
The first word that comes to mind is FRESH. The water texture is spot on for this image, and he scene definitely makes me want to take a plunge although I’m sure it is quite cold. Intimate views of waterfalls are hard to pull off in my opinion, but I think you have done really good with this one.
David, this is a beautiful photo, I love the colors of the water with the fresh green of the foliage. I think even more, I enjoyed your story about your meet ups, how great is it that you have actually met people on this forum. It’s interesting to me because i live in Bend, Oregon. I have good friends that live in Mosier, Oregon which is very close to Spirit Falls and I’ve never been there!! I think I’ve photographed every falls on the Oregon side of the Columbia River, now I need to venture across the river and see what’s what!!
Alice
David, I’m thoroughly enjoying this view and how it emphasizes the turquoise color in the water (thank you, glacial silt). I also lik how you’ve set off the main falls with the branches on the left. Having a heavier and lighter flows of the falling water adds complexity and interest, as doe the mossy green rocks in the middle.
I’m glad that you all enjoyed this one @Michael_Lowe, @Jonathan_Cothron, @alice, @Mark_Seaver.
Michael, I’m not sure the leaves are sharp on the right side of the image but I have to blow it up so large in order to tell that I don’t think it matters. And, my old eyes just are not what they used to be.
That’s just too dang funny. I would have loved to have gone out with them and it’ll happen in November when we are all at Yosemite again for Fall colors.
Jonathan,
I agree. That water in this section is just beautiful. Thanks for your input.
Alice,
Maybe next time I’m in the area we can all get together and spend a day or two together shooting the Washington side of the river. The hike to this waterfall is VERY steep but it’s only about a mile in length and I did it with a broken toe. Panther falls was just a train wreck. It’s close by and usually a great location but there was so much debris at the base of the falls that it might take years to clear out.
Mark,
It’s what makes this falls so beautiful. Glad you like it. I’ll probably post another image of Spirit Falls that is more traditional but I actually like this one because I’ve never seen a shot like this before from the area.
Yeah, there was a breeze so I needed a fast shutter speed to freeze the leaves along with an open aperture to capture front to back depth. So I needed to very carefully paint in the water from a second image with a slow shutter speed.
There is actually a third falls behind the leaves on the left that are not really visible.
Congratulations on a unique take from such an iconic location. I love the way you’ve nestled the cyan amongst the vegetation, and the two sections of falls works so well! I’m really glad you were able to make it there.
Sadly that’s singular, just me. @James_Lorentson is young, and definitely not boring!
