Opinions on waterfall edits

HL45 · May 21, 2014

Thanks for taking your time to look.

I'd like some feedback on these two shots.
Which composition and PP is more appealing to you and why?
This is Cedar Falls, Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas.
It's the most photographed waterfall in the state, my first time to capture it.

#1

Cedar_Falls-3 by Mitch Wessels, on Flickr

#2

cedar_falls-5889 by Mitch Wessels, on Flickr

Designer · May 21, 2014

Composition in #1 is better but the processing in #2 is better.

#1 needs to be brighter, IMO. #2 is brighter, but you missed the high vertical fall at the back.

pyzik · May 21, 2014

Designer said:
Composition in #1 is better but the processing in #2 is better.

#1 needs to be brighter, IMO. #2 is brighter, but you missed the high vertical fall at the back.

Completely agreed.

HL45 · May 21, 2014

Thanks for the replies. I bumped the exposure and replaced the photo.

WesternGuy · May 21, 2014

I like #1 better than #2 as the foreground "water" in #2 tends to dominate the image. Not only that, but there is a large rock in #2 that is blocking the view of most of the larger falls. I would, however, like to see more of the image above the falls in #1 as you have in #2. The top of #1 is cut off a bit too much for me. My 0.02¢ FWIW. HTH.

WesternGuy

pyzik · May 21, 2014

Much better.
That is really a beautiful shot

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Stevepwns · May 21, 2014

I love shooting waterfalls, if I were to take these shots, this is what I would do....

#1

Pick a subject, as it sits (although a nice shot) Pick one or the other. If you must have both in the one shot, allow for a longer shutter to make the foreground water as smooth as the background waterfall. If you want to have the shot is it sits with both sections of water, compose the shot with the rear fall to the left of the photo as to lead the foreground water to the right. This is the natural flow of the water and adds to the composition and flow, with the left side of the creek line just off the side of the frame giving you some edge so that it is closer in composition like #2(if that makes sense).

#2

If I were to shoot this, I would again allow for a longer shutter speed, (to my eyes) the water looks out of focus (I know its not). Leave the shutter open longer and allow the water to smooth out more. Also, with composition the left side is good, I would bring the top down to get rid of the background waterfall, I find it distracting. Half of a waterfall doesn't really add to the shot for me and I find my eyes drawn to it.

Ideally I would use the composition of the second and the camera placement of the first to create a single shot with the full waterfall in the back, a slight view of the pool its falling into with the water leading to the bottom right hand corner. A nice long shutter speed of 5 to 10 seconds. Here is a link to my favorites that I have done, maybe it will explain better seeing it than I did hear typing it. Again, this is just the way I shoot waterfalls. You may not like this way..... but its my 2 cents.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevepwns/sets/72157644078108255/

HL45 · May 21, 2014

Stevepwns said:
I love shooting waterfalls, if I were to take these shots, this is what I would do....

#1

Pick a subject, as it sits (although a nice shot) Pick one or the other. If you must have both in the one shot, allow for a longer shutter to make the foreground water as smooth as the background waterfall. If you want to have the shot is it sits with both sections of water, compose the shot with the rear fall to the left of the photo as to lead the foreground water to the right. This is the natural flow of the water and adds to the composition and flow, with the left side of the creek line just off the side of the frame giving you some edge so that it is closer in composition like #2(if that makes sense).

#2

If I were to shoot this, I would again allow for a longer shutter speed, (to my eyes) the water looks out of focus (I know its not). Leave the shutter open longer and allow the water to smooth out more. Also, with composition the left side is good, I would bring the top down to get rid of the background waterfall, I find it distracting. Half of a waterfall doesn't really add to the shot for me and I find my eyes drawn to it.

Ideally I would use the composition of the second and the camera placement of the first to create a single shot with the full waterfall in the back, a slight view of the pool its falling into with the water leading to the bottom right hand corner. A nice long shutter speed of 5 to 10 seconds. Here is a link to my favorites that I have done, maybe it will explain better seeing it than I did hear typing it. Again, this is just the way I shoot waterfalls. You may not like this way..... but its my 2 cents.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevepwns/sets/72157644078108255/

Thanks for the critique, I do understand or that does make sense to me.

Several other photographers were shooting that morning, all had been there before. After seeing the different compositions they came up with, while we stood on the same rock, I felt I missed something lol.

JoeW · May 21, 2014

I love shooting water. And you've got two lovely shots here. My C&C:

1. First shot is good. The foreground adds perspective. Just guessing but I think a better angle might have been further to the right (but then you might have been in the middle of the stream). As it is, I might consider cropping it (to take off the left side up to where it meets the water and a bit of the foreground).

2. Second shot--the waterfall is effectively irrelevant. The subject and focus is on the blurred water. I think I'd crop out the upper 1/3rd (to include the falls) and the left hand side.