I visited a mountain brook last weekend and water was gushing due to the spring thaw and rain we've had recently. This is one of the more intimate images I took that day.
All constructive feedback welcomed and appreciated.
Edit #1
Following comments and further review, I decided to go in a different direction - gone are the soft tones of B&W, replaced with a more painterly color image.
im glad to kept the shutter speed around 1/4 sec to keep the detail of the wateriest a little flat mostly mid tones maybe play with contrast or levels maybe some dodge and burn
Thanks Joe. I tried a range of exposures. It' tricky to preserve detail in the faster/volatile areas whilst creating the silky flow in the slower sections we all crave.
I'll take your suggestions to heart and fine tune.
Check out the new version Joe, let me know what you think.
did you upload as separate or replace
As an abstract image, I think it works, but it's a little gray overall; there are no whites or blacks. While there may not have been any dark shadows in the scene, there were very likely a lot of highlights in that whitewater.
Thank Phillip. TBH I did try a more contrasty look but felt it was too harsh. I think in this case a lack of full tonal range is not warranted but will let it sit for a while and review.
I do think that in order to soften I may have dropped the clarity too much, so with this and your/other comments I believe improvements can be made.
I have edited a new copy and uploaded - better?
I would prefer B&W 😉, but it is an improvement over the first attempt.
Nice work Alan. I like Phillip's suggestion. It would be a nice alteration but isn't a deal-breaker. This is really nice as is!
Nice work, Alan! For once, I can't agree with Joseph or Phillip. For some reason, the subdued tonality works here, for me. I think it might be because it makes the tiny streak highlights more striking and dynamic in appearance.
Thanks Chris - I was wondering if it were just me.....With all the input I may look at it again and fine tune adjustments.
I don't have an issue with the level of contrast and gray tones. I like the softness of it. IF (big if) I were to suggest any changes, it would just be to brighten it a tiny bit. For me, I think that the reaction is more that the water is very subdued in tone while doing something that is all about action and motion. The contradiction is interesting but it could also be something that gives the viewer pause.
I'm still drinking my coffee so this may not be articulate yet!
:)
That sounds like solid suggestion - I'll be sure to try.
It always takes me time/multiple visits before I get an image looking its best......I'm not one that can edit once and be done.
I have added a new version that hopefully presents more power. Let me know what you think.
Hey Chris, let me know how you feel about the new version
Can't work out it it's watercolour or oil, it's so like a painting now, Alan! I think it's the best on the page - you seem to have taken Phillip's idea further. Great sense of dynamism, which we all seem to have thought the image possessed.
I'd go back to mono, though (I've just converted it to see)! I've been to so many waterfalls where everything is in shades of brown that I find the hues a bit drab. Wouldn't say that about a painting, which makes no sense at all!
Your colour version (and even my quick B&W conversion of it) have a dynamism very rarely captured in photos, but more often seen in paintings and sketches. Well done!
It's your scene, and not mine, but I'd be inclined to cool the colours a bit, to try to create a sense of coolness rather than remember the muddy water!
Hey Alan. I agreed with Chris. This cool toned color version is a winner!
Thanks Chris - I do like that!
BTW - the water is not muddy at all but fresh water (snowmelt + recent heavy rain) running down a mountainside. The color comes from the rocks below, but I can see how you could draw your conclusion
For some reason, your colour image has a pinkish hue, even in the water highlights, Alan. I shifted to blue and a little to green in my colour rebalancing.
Except in flood conditions, the brown I find is often from vegetation - button grass in Tasmania, as well as the rocks providing the only colour there at times, as in this case.
Funny you mention that. I looked at the image last night and adjusted the color- more to the blue but I’ll check again. Thanks for the work you have done on this.
I love group brain!