Mike’s picture of Mohawk Falls sent me back to my Ricketts Glen files only to find that I didn’t shoot Mohawk when we visited a month ago. That difference says a lot of both individual vision and how timing matters. Here are two views of Cayuga Falls (one falls and maybe 1/2 mile further down the trail).
Added notes: A preference is not needed or expected and I was using a variable neutral density filter.
Close up of left half, 0.4 s
Both sides, 0.8 s, cropped to 8.5 x 11
Mark,
Both versions of Cayuga look great; hard to pick a favorite. Looks like you handled the light really well without blowing it out. and the SS was perfect for capturing some detail in the water. How were the colors this year? I almost made a quick trip up there to catch some leaf change, but I read online that it was crowded and people were not wearing masks and practicing any kind of social distancing so I decided against it.
That’s pretty good water texture for what look like bright conditions. Did you use a NDF? Both of these views are nice takes; if forced to choose I’d go with the horizontal.
Mark, between the two, my preference is for the vertical image. I think the foreground rock sand leaves of the vertical creates a stronger entry point than they do in the horizontal. I also like the double falls split by the sunlit rock in the vertical as well.
I usually do not attempt to shoot waterfalls on sunny days due to the high contrast. But these came out pretty well, the dappled light on the rocks and leaves creates an interesting effect. I think the light and contrast here would make these images strong candidates for a B&W conversion as well.
Mark - Thanks for posting both images. I really enjoy the vertical due to the leaves in sunshine in the foreground. Your processing to balance luminosity is quite good through the sunlit and shadows areas. The composition shows just the necessary elements - nothing to crop out. Nice work.
Hello Mark, I enjoyed both images however I have a slight preference for the one taken in portrait mode because the bottom section leads my eye into the image a bit better. You have done a great job controlling the highlights on a sunny day. You did a great job composing and framing both images.
Mark - I like the portrait mode better I think the bright leaves in the FG really pull my eye into the image; in the landscape mode my eye wanders more. Nice image!
