Soft white flowing water (Water Falls)

The_Saint

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My first attempt at the slow shutter water effect, took this during my trip to hogsback, hectic hours of hiking to get to these waterfalls.

Some of these are just water running over small rocks.
C+C please


1.
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2.
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3.
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4.
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5.
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6.

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7.
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8.

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They make me wonder where all the blue comes from, but given they are all this blue, I tend to like the bluest one best of all, i.e. Photo 6. Nice first attempt on getting "foggy water", in some, the white (where it lands) seems a bit overexposed with your long exposures. I still have to find myself some flowing water ... not easy when all is flat as a plate around you ;).
 
I have to say, I like #6 the best too - followed by #8.

Also, like LaFoto, much too flat around here for waterfalls. I wish we had some to shoot...
 
C&C per req:
I'm going to deal with these more as a group than individual images. First off, in several (Notably 1, 2, 5, 6, and 8) the white balance appears drastically out. The images are far too blue; the WB needs to be much warmer, especially given that shade is prevalent in most of your images.
3,4 7, and 8 all suffer from serious under-exposure in the shadow areas. You've done a good job of getting the highlights exposed, but the dark areas are virtually without detail. The only way to really capture these images successfully is going to be with fill light. I'm not sure how far you were away, but an off-camera light-source would have made a huge difference.
One of the tricks with this type of photography is knowing how long an exposure is correct. This varies with the flow rate of the water, and I've used anywhere from a 1/2 second up to 4 or 5 seconds. Since there's no exposure data in your EXIF info, I don't know what your settings were, but #3 is right at your maximum. You have just a bit of detail in it, but you can see it's verging on being nothing but a white highlight area. Another half second and it would have been lost.
Always be congnizant of your background and surroundings. In 3, 5, and 7 you have leaves, branches, and other detritus which doesn't add to the picture.
Of all of the images (WB notwithstanding) #6 is IMHO, the best one. Had you been standing another couple of feet to your right, I think it would have been even better, but as is, it's still very good.
When you're doing this sort of work, don't forget you need to pack a few extras in addition to your camera and tripod. One is a cover for your camera, even just an old shopping bag to keep the spray off of it. Another is extra lens cloths, as you'll have to wipe the front element frequently, and lastly, either very tall boots or preferably hip-waders. It's been my experience that the best shots always require you to get into the water.
Something else you may want to invest in are neutral density filters to allow you to get even slower shutter speeds.
 
I understand the white balance is off, but i think the blue-ish color gives it the cold look it needs.

Thanks for the Crit!
 
I have to agree with the white balance issue. Beautiful captures otherwise.
 
Honestly, #6 is the only one that does anything for me. To me, waterfalls need to be warm and gentle, not cold and harsh. I guess a matter of personal opinion, however. White balance is definitely a bit off...

Also I notice any shadows seem to have zero detail to them. Shadow detail is more difficult on digital though.

Keep shooting! I do really like #6, would be better if it wasnt so blue..
 

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