Dingmans Falls

daniel1540z · May 20, 2012

Ok so heres my best shot of the Dingmans Falls in Delaware water Gap in PA. Im looking forward to get some feedback on it. I know that the main stream of water is overexposed. How could i achieve better result? These are settings i used f/18, 2seconds, ISO 100

Dingmans Falls by Daniel Zielinski | Photography, on Flickr

jfrabat · May 20, 2012

I like it in general, but it looks like you got some flaring on top and (in THIS monitor!) it looks like you lost some detail in the shadow of the rock on the left... (could be the monitor, though!)

daniel1540z · May 22, 2012

anyone else could give me some feedback and advices?

Markw · Jun 1, 2012

The flare in the top could easily be cloned out. The detail lost MAY be able to be recovered, if you shot in RAW. If not, you're going to have to reshoot with the exposure about 2/3-1 stop lower. But, then you're going to have to brighten up the shadows. I like the composition and vantage point. If you didn't use a CPOL, one may have helped with the overexposed water. It would have eliminated some of the reflections, leaving darker colored water; which, because it's darker, wouldn't be overexposed.

Overall, nice job!
Mark

LittleMike · Jun 1, 2012

Try shooting when it's overcast. That way the lighting will be far more even, so you should be able to balance the lights and darks more easily. That would also eliminate the lens flare, as well as the blownout sky (which are the two things that bug me in this shot.)

However, your composition is excellent. I love that you were able to incorporate the small eddie in the pool as well. That is one thing that I've seen several photographers either only partially include, or leave it out altogether.

HughGuessWho · Jun 1, 2012

Seems to have a shallow DOF for f/18, as the trees right above the top of the falls are OOF. However, I don’t think it could be exposed much better, short of HDR. Overall, I like it and don’t think the water is over exposed since you did a long exposure to frost it. Otherwise, you would have lost all details in the rocks in the foreground and that would have hurt the shot. Not quite a wall hanger, but close. Good job.