Critique Desired: Sodden

[janet Smith]

It rained heavily through the night on Saturday, on Sunday the Dales were sodden, some fields were flooded and waterfalls had sprung up all over the place, this being one of them....

[Wade Skinner]

Who doesn't like a delayed exposure waterfall photo.........

I like this one. Nice and contrasty.

[Mike Shimwell]

Ooh it looks wet Janet. We went to the fireworks and bonfire on the stray with the girls and some friends, returning for dinner pretty wet ourselves. It only seemed to get worse after that and the wharf was very full when we were out on Sunday.

You've certainly given the impression of damp with those greens.

Mike

[janet Smith]

Hi Wade & Mike

Thank you both for commenting, yes it was extremely wet, we went by Aysgarth falls on Sunday and the force was amazing, all rivers at bursting point.

[Asher Kelman]

Originally Posted by janet Smith

It rained heavily through the night on Saturday, on Sunday the Dales were sodden, some fields were flooded and waterfalls had sprung up all over the place, this being one of them....

First I look at waterfalls as royal entities and want to know there's enough of its majesty included to appreciate fully. Then I'd like to imagine the ambience. Here you have shown a magnificent fall set, well in the countryside. I can imagine being there and being in awe and wanting to stick around to enjoy the wonderful experience. A wider and taller picture might enhance it's power.

Originally Posted by Wade Skinner

Who doesn't like a delayed exposure waterfall photo.........

I like this one. Nice and contrasty.

Wade,

I must admit, I have some issues with the custom, even driven need to render the flowing water with wisps of white blur. Is that the only agreeable way? Can the falls be shown with sharp droplets and spray, since that's what one gets in one's face and clothes?

Just a thought,

Asher

[janet Smith]

Originally Posted by Asher Kelman

I must admit, I have some issues with the custom, even driven need to render the flowing water with wisps of white blur. Is that the only agreeable way? Can the falls be shown with sharp droplets and spray, since that's what one gets in one's face and clothes?

Hello Asher

Thank you for commenting, I posted this shot for critique because I'm unsure about it. I have wider and taller shots of the same scene, but this one showed more detail of the surrounding foliage, but then I wonder if the foliage is too intrusive, but yet it tells more about the environment that the fall is in.

I agree with your comments about long exposures and water, it is an overused technique, yet I wasn't at all pleased with the results I have where I used faster shutter speeds. I've been photographing waterfalls a lot over the last few days, and will be doing more over the coming days/week, it's still very wet here! I'll be mindful of your comments about spray and droplets over the next few days when I'm shooting more, I'll see what I come up with......

Thank you for your input.

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Originally Posted by janet Smith

I agree with your comments about long exposures and water, it is an overused technique, yet I wasn't at all pleased with the results I have where I used faster shutter speeds. I've been photographing waterfalls a lot over the last few days, and will be doing more over the coming days/week, it's still very wet here! I'll be mindful of your comments about spray and droplets over the next few days when I'm shooting more, I'll see what I come up with......

Hi Jan,

When you shoot from a tripod (I don't know if you lug it along on your hikes) you can try shooting both long and short, and see if a selective blend/masking between them brings something new.

Just an idea.

Cheers,
Bart

[janet Smith]

Originally Posted by Bart_van_der_Wolf

When you shoot from a tripod (I don't know if you lug it along on your hikes) you can try shooting both long and short, and see if a selective blend/masking between them brings something new

Hi Bart

Yes these were all shot from a tripod, yes I've been lugging it around with me, and yes again there may well be several versions of the same shot with differing apertures. Thank you for the idea - I don't know why I didn't think of it!

There's very heavy rain forecast for the end of the end of the week, as soon as it stops I'll be out there! Thank you Bart, I'm looking forward to trying again, see if I can get something I'm pleased with.

[Ken Tanaka]

Janet: The high-contrast of the image at this small size has removed a great deal of information from the image. But since the eye looks for form first, I saw the tree forms oriented horizontally and thought this had been rotated 90 deg ccw! This is not really a cliche waterfall shot. The water falling is not the prominent subject; it's the trees that are clinging to the rocks horizontally! You could turn the image 90 deg cw and crop the bottom of the falls to end up with a shot of rapids.

Very unusual. I'd like to see a lower contrast version for more information.

[janet Smith]

Originally Posted by Ken Tanaka

This is not really a cliche waterfall shot. The water falling is not the prominent subject; it's the trees that are clinging to the rocks horizontally! You could turn the image 90 deg cw and crop the bottom of the falls to end up with a shot of rapids.

Very unusual. I'd like to see a lower contrast version for more information.

Hi Ken

I'll go back to the original version later today, and see how it looks processed differently with the emphasis being on the detail in the trees and foliage. Thank you for your ideas.

[janet Smith]

Originally Posted by Ken Tanaka

The high-contrast of the image at this small size has removed a great deal of information from the image.

Hi Ken

A wider shot, less contrasty, not sure about this one either..... is this better or just different?

[fahim mohammed]

Janet, I have been visiting your scene a few times. The sight of water is a feast for my eyes, literally.
You have encouraged me to visit a part of your world that I have not seen before. That to me is the real
beauty of your photograph. was it as damp and coldish as it appears to me?

Thanks for sharing.

[Ken Tanaka]

Originally Posted by janet Smith

Hi Ken

A wider shot, less contrasty, not sure about this one either..... is this better or just different?

Very different, but beautiful in its own right. Wow, that looks like quite a place to feel away from it all.

[janet Smith]

Originally Posted by fahim mohammed

You have encouraged me to visit a part of your world that I have not seen before. That to me is the real beauty of your photograph. was it as damp and coldish as it appears to me?

Hello Fahim

I'm delighted that I've made you want to visit Yorkshire, let me know if you come and visit. Yes it was probably even wetter than it looks LOL! every step was like walking through saturated sponges, not that cold yet though, it was just chilly, lovely and fresh - just had the first touch of night frosts. Thank you for your comment.

[janet Smith]

Originally Posted by Ken Tanaka

Very different, but beautiful in its own right. Wow, that looks like quite a place to feel away from it all.

Hello Ken

Thank you, yes there are some very nice places in the Dales & loads of waterfalls, and importantly, peace, quiet and fresh air in abundance.

[Rachel Foster]

This is a really nice composition.

[Cedric MASSOULIER]

Originally Posted by Ken Tanaka

But since the eye looks for form first, I saw the tree forms oriented horizontally and thought this had been rotated 90 deg ccw! This is not really a cliche waterfall shot. The water falling is not the prominent subject; it's the trees that are clinging to the rocks horizontally! You could turn the image 90 deg cw and crop the bottom of the falls to end up with a shot of rapids.

Hi,

It was indeed my first impression - this visual effect is really strange and well done, it adds to the atmosphere of mystery. Very good picture, well served by dense and rich colors. I really like the first version.

Cedric.

[janet Smith]

Originally Posted by Rachel Foster

This is a really nice composition.

Hi Rachel

Thank you!

[janet Smith]

Originally Posted by Cedric MASSOULIER

this visual effect is really strange and well done, it adds to the atmosphere of mystery. Very good picture, well served by dense and rich colors. I really like the first version

Hello Cedric

I keep coming back to the first one, I like the density too, it seems to emphasise the tangle of soaked vegetation better than the second one (I think!) when it's viewed at full size the detail is intact and very sharp.

Thank you for commenting, have a good weekend.

[Ron Morse]

I don't know much about landscape work Jan but I really like the first one no matter what the subject is.

[Cedric MASSOULIER]

Originally Posted by janet Smith

Hello Cedric

I keep coming back to the first one, I like the density too, it seems to emphasise the tangle of soaked vegetation better than the second one (I think!) when it's viewed at full size the detail is intact and very sharp.

Thank you for commenting, have a good weekend.

Another thing to underline in this first pic, different zones are very well delimited : white water behind black trunks, blacks rocks behind green vegetation, some touchs of bright red to enhance the comp, a darker layer of the right to close the frame... Verticality and horizontality are also very visible. Well, a picture to watch again and again.

[janet Smith]

Originally Posted by Ron Morse

I don't know much about landscape work Jan but I really like the first one no matter what the subject is.

Hi Ron

Thank you!

[janet Smith]

Originally Posted by Cedric MASSOULIER

Another thing to underline in this first pic, different zones are very well delimited : white water behind black trunks, blacks rocks behind green vegetation, some touchs of bright red to enhance the comp, a darker layer of the right to close the frame... Verticality and horizontality are also very visible. Well, a picture to watch again and again.

Cedric thank you for this further critique, it helps me to identify what works/doesn't work, I think I'll print the first one and live with it for a few days, I have several other compositions of the same location, some in landscape format, that I'll work on next week, I'll think of your comments while I'm processing them.

Thank you for your input, it helps to guide me.....

[Ken Tanaka]

Originally Posted by Ken Tanaka

You could turn the image 90 deg cw and crop the bottom of the falls to end up with a shot of rapids.

I couldn't stifle the urge during an idle moment.


New Title: "Raging River"

What a different image, eh? A good lesson in the power of orientation and perspective. We come to imagery carrying heavy baggage of personal precedents.

[janet Smith]

Originally Posted by Ken Tanaka

I couldn't stifle the urge during an idle moment.


New Title: "Raging River"

What a different image, eh? A good lesson in the power of orientation and perspective. We come to imagery carrying heavy baggage of personal precedents.

Ha - Priceless Ken! - looks really weird doesn't it - must admit after you mentioned this I did rotate it and have a look, think I'll stick with the genuine landscape formats though!..... Hope you enjoyed your moment of unstifledness, I did ;)