Edit: adding 2 reprocessed and cropped versions. thank you for your comments if you happen to return.
Time to step away from color balancing… between the eyes and the brain, I think I’m developing jaundice…
Well, gentler is a relative terms… the river still rages and floods a lower lying area near the bottom of the canyon. Here is another image that I think has more personal meaning than impact to the viewer. I’ve been driving by this spot for years and years; for whatever reason never stopping, but always catching my eye. The backlighting in the trees (have no idea - not aspen, could be alder or cottonwood…) is always beautiful during both spring and fall. Finally I decided to stop. The water always flows wide here in the spring which I think makes for an intriguing scene.
This may be more to my eye that what you might react too, and that’s ok. As always your thoughts and critique are most welcome.
A special shout out to @Ed_McGuirk for his tips on white balance and color correction. Thanks for the discussion Ed. Can’t say I’ve got this one down, but I’ve learned some great tips.
2 more renditions:
And a much cooler version:
You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.
What technical feedback would you like if any?
Processing, specifically color and WB.
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
Any, all.
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
Cropped from single frame to more pano to emphasize the flow of the river.
Nikon D800E, Tamron 17-35 @26mm, f/20 .4s iso 50 maybe a polarizer
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Lon - I really like this look at the river out of it’s banks, it is very unique! Again your shutter speed looks perfect and the water in the river bed is really wonderful. It’s hard for me to critique your processing choices in such an unusual scene. The yellows look quite strong and warm in the water and trees in contrast to the riverbed, but this may be realistic? I think this is more about personal preference but I would cool it down just a touch…just my two cents. Given you and @Ed_McGuirk have discussed this color issue I am guessing I might be in the minority on this one.
You folks in California must be getting deluged with rain, based on your recent posts. I think those are aspen trees, possibly alder, but definitely not cottonwood. Either way the light on those green/yellow leaves is gorgeous.
This is a good example of processing color balance for whites in a scene. In this scene it appears that the river is in relative shadow (especially on the left side) while the trees are sunlit. The whites in the foreground water are picking up reflected light from the trees. White water in shadow might normally be cool, but here it is receiving warm light from above, and my guess is this is how it really looked. I like the choice of white balance here for creative effect, it fits with the strong yellow light from the trees. You kept the whites cooler on the left, and warmer on the right, also probably how it really looked. You could increase color contrast by cooling the water, but then you would lose the wonderful glow of reflected light on the river, so I like this as presented.
From a composition perspective, it feels a little too 50/50 for my preference. I might crop a sliver from the bottom, to get that “horizon” slightly off-center.
A very different view of the others I have seen from you Lon. I like Ed’s suggestion too but reducing the foreground will turn this into a panoramic. I would not crop from the top. Beautiful scene none the less Lon.
I always love your moving water images, Lon. This one is no exception. I have no suggestions on white balance. I’m guessing it fits your memory of the scene, and the explanation/rationale provided by Ed above is convincing.
I keep getting a sense that it needs a slight ccw rotation, but I’m pretty sure that’s an illusion created by your angle to the river and the streaking in the water. It definitely lends a sense of being pushed downstream, so even if it is not level, it works well.
Regarding the 50/50 composition and cropping: I’m of two minds there. In a way, 50/50 works because it is like a reflection, and those often work well that way. On the other hand, I think the water deluging the trees is the real story here, and I might, counter to opinions above, be inclined to crop a tish off the top.
Of course, it’s also just fab as presented, so feel free to take my suggestions with a grain of salt.
ML
Thank you much for your comments, observations and suggestions, @Alan_Kreyger, @Ed_McGuirk, @Eva_McDermott and @Marylynne_Diggs.
This is one of those images I just need to step away. There’s a point of no return when improvements in the image start turning in to mistakes and losing track. Above are two more renditions.
Yes! That, along with the glow in the trees and the motion in the river. I’m glad you noticed!
I hadn’t considered cropping (any further, it’s already a crop,) but I like some off of both the trees and the river. Given the long streaks in the water, I think panorama is fitting.
Thanks for chiming in!
Lon, thanks for the reposts. I like them all, but for what it’s worth I prefer the pana crop in the cool version the best.
Lon, after seeing the reworks, I now like theoriginal version best. Stepping back and taking a deep breath sounds like a smart move.
Lon, I like the view (and story) of spring high water. That story is likely special for you Californians having been through so many years of drought over the last decade. I think your original version has the colors best, with warm trees and coolish (new word…) water. V2 looks too warm and V3 looks to cool. One of the joys (??) of digital is the ability to make adjustments quickly and then look carefully side-by-side. This is a fine example of what can be seen with that approach.
I know this spot. Very nice story being told here. I prefer the color balance in the first version. It is more lively.
There are no Aspens in Yosemite Valley–it’s too low in elevation for them. These trees are Alder.
We have had a very wet May this year, and a heavy snowfall winter. The flooding you see here is snowmelt runoff.
Nicely composed, and I like the crop.
–P
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