Nice one as usual from you, Joe! I like the swirly and the comb above it. Waterfalls, and the fall of water over rocks in them, provide beautiful, almost geometric elements in the chaotic-looking natural world. I like the contrast between the two, as you've shown here beautifully.
Thanks much Chris, always appreciate your thoughts and input. I do wish the foreground falls flowed into or integrated better with the eddie for this composition, but wanted to practice shooting the swirl motion regardless. looking at it now, I should have gotten right up to the eddie and tried a much longer exposure for a possible mistier 'hurricane' looking piece. Oh well, woulda, coulda, shoulda, right?
Since you did a wider image,Joe, I think I'd have been inclined to do something like this, to integrate the fall and the eddy. I'd also include more at right because that diagonal "spike" and the eddies at right are interesting, and lead my eye clockwise back to the main eddy, and around again. Your original crop does feel a little truncated to me, at left and right.
Awesome as usual my friend! I love the stacked layers here.
Curiosity question - not it reference to this image which is great the way it is. You guys are amazing with the 'woodsy waterfalls' and as you know, I'm a newby with landscape stuff. I did just got a wide angle lens for my birthday and so i'm thinking about landscapes. Why are these almost always shot in portrait format? I'm curious when I see this image for example, what was to the right as some negative space of dark water as it leaves the eddy would be nice too but maybe this doesn't work? I guess the question is, are waterfalls like this created by tight spaces so portrait is generally the only way to go or is there an inherent benefit to portrait for waterfalls?
PS - Joe were your near by with this? If so, where is it?
Most of my waterfall images ARE horizontal format, Ruth, but a much higher percentage are vertical compared with landscape images in general. Waterfalls provide a good opportunity for vertical images. And, not to be a smart-aleck, but - water falls vertically, after all. Once you get out there, you'll see for each case. And yes, waterfalls only form on steeply sloping ground, which often puts rocks and trees, etc. in the way. Branches in the way are a frequent "issue". Some have been known to cut or break them... It's often hard to get a "clean" shot, particularly of waterfalls as a whole. But they offer great possibilities. I usually spend hours at each one. Great fun - and what a beautiful, cool, fragrant, peaceful environment to pursue one's passion!
Also to contribute to Chris' statement using a wide angle lens properly close up can give you many advantages using its distortion properties. Things in middle shrink whereas things on the fringes of the lens expand you can make a pebble look like a boulder and at portrait orientation you can make a rather small fall seem huge.
I actually shot this in landscape format (I included the un-cropped version below). I don't consider this composition that I chose while out there (or even the cropped image above) to be the best choices. I tried a couple of landscape crops, but wasn't happy with them, but then again, this photo isn't a favorite of mine, so I just cropped it and wanted to see what anyone thought when posting it here for and helpful tips. I am practicing taking photos of larger landscape scenes, this scene interested me because of the added eddie.. Usually, I enjoy taking shots of the smaller details of the greater picture.
This was at Ricketts Glen in PA Memorial Day weekend. It wasn't quite planned so I didn't get to spend enough time, but I would spend a good day there as there are over 20 waterfalls all within walking distance of each other.
I used my wide angle lens for my shoot that day because I wanted to practice long exposures, and that is the only lens I have a screw on 10 stop ND filter for. As it is though, you can get very close to the waterfall in this place so the wide angle lens actually helped me get in more of the surrounding landscapes.
Most landscape shoots I do I usually don't use a wide angle lens. A while back Phillip Breske posted a great discussion on wide angle lens use which I thought was spot on and agree with.
As for landscape or portrait compositions, I think Chris said it very well, depends on the situation.
nothing wrong with a nice swirly unless your receiving a "swirly" nice capture Joe i really like the the stepped effect you got moving from one element to another well done my friend
The swirly is cool. That is a well-placed eddy. The light in the trees is also very nice. I like this shot.
Eddy! That was the word I was trying to remember, thanks and thanks Kevin.
LOL Swirly HAA! I will never see an eddie again and not laugh a little. Beautiful composition and lighting.
When kayaking and using an eddie to remain stationary, I call it 'squattin on a swirly' :)
ditto!
Nice one as usual from you, Joe! I like the swirly and the comb above it. Waterfalls, and the fall of water over rocks in them, provide beautiful, almost geometric elements in the chaotic-looking natural world. I like the contrast between the two, as you've shown here beautifully.
Thanks much Chris, always appreciate your thoughts and input. I do wish the foreground falls flowed into or integrated better with the eddie for this composition, but wanted to practice shooting the swirl motion regardless. looking at it now, I should have gotten right up to the eddie and tried a much longer exposure for a possible mistier 'hurricane' looking piece. Oh well, woulda, coulda, shoulda, right?
Since you did a wider image,Joe, I think I'd have been inclined to do something like this, to integrate the fall and the eddy. I'd also include more at right because that diagonal "spike" and the eddies at right are interesting, and lead my eye clockwise back to the main eddy, and around again. Your original crop does feel a little truncated to me, at left and right.
Definitely agree with your critique Chris. I should have left it landscape.
Awesome as usual my friend! I love the stacked layers here.
Curiosity question - not it reference to this image which is great the way it is. You guys are amazing with the 'woodsy waterfalls' and as you know, I'm a newby with landscape stuff. I did just got a wide angle lens for my birthday and so i'm thinking about landscapes. Why are these almost always shot in portrait format? I'm curious when I see this image for example, what was to the right as some negative space of dark water as it leaves the eddy would be nice too but maybe this doesn't work? I guess the question is, are waterfalls like this created by tight spaces so portrait is generally the only way to go or is there an inherent benefit to portrait for waterfalls?
PS - Joe were your near by with this? If so, where is it?
Most of my waterfall images ARE horizontal format, Ruth, but a much higher percentage are vertical compared with landscape images in general. Waterfalls provide a good opportunity for vertical images. And, not to be a smart-aleck, but - water falls vertically, after all. Once you get out there, you'll see for each case. And yes, waterfalls only form on steeply sloping ground, which often puts rocks and trees, etc. in the way. Branches in the way are a frequent "issue". Some have been known to cut or break them... It's often hard to get a "clean" shot, particularly of waterfalls as a whole. But they offer great possibilities. I usually spend hours at each one. Great fun - and what a beautiful, cool, fragrant, peaceful environment to pursue one's passion!
I had a feeling this was the case. I just wasn't sure if I was missing something. :)
Also to contribute to Chris' statement using a wide angle lens properly close up can give you many advantages using its distortion properties. Things in middle shrink whereas things on the fringes of the lens expand you can make a pebble look like a boulder and at portrait orientation you can make a rather small fall seem huge.
I actually shot this in landscape format (I included the un-cropped version below). I don't consider this composition that I chose while out there (or even the cropped image above) to be the best choices. I tried a couple of landscape crops, but wasn't happy with them, but then again, this photo isn't a favorite of mine, so I just cropped it and wanted to see what anyone thought when posting it here for and helpful tips. I am practicing taking photos of larger landscape scenes, this scene interested me because of the added eddie.. Usually, I enjoy taking shots of the smaller details of the greater picture.
This was at Ricketts Glen in PA Memorial Day weekend. It wasn't quite planned so I didn't get to spend enough time, but I would spend a good day there as there are over 20 waterfalls all within walking distance of each other.
I used my wide angle lens for my shoot that day because I wanted to practice long exposures, and that is the only lens I have a screw on 10 stop ND filter for. As it is though, you can get very close to the waterfall in this place so the wide angle lens actually helped me get in more of the surrounding landscapes.
Most landscape shoots I do I usually don't use a wide angle lens. A while back Phillip Breske posted a great discussion on wide angle lens use which I thought was spot on and agree with.
As for landscape or portrait compositions, I think Chris said it very well, depends on the situation.
Thanks for the thoughts! And i love this version! :)
Love the swirly and the crop.
Thanks much Chris
nice 👌
Thanks Jeremy
nothing wrong with a nice swirly unless your receiving a "swirly" nice capture Joe i really like the the stepped effect you got moving from one element to another well done my friend