How Could this Photo Be Improved?

[LivesToHike]

I've offered comments and now it's my turn. How could the following shot be improved? It was taken in Tucker Brook town forest in Milford, NH. I like it, but think it could be better cropped or re-shot with better settings, etc. Any and all suggestions welcome. Thanks in advance! ---Mike

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/150/357111103_4f70836d05_b.jpg

 

[kmorgan]

I thought it was a little dark, with not enough detail in the shadows. I took 3 approaches to adjustment. a. levels b. shadow/highlights and c. exposure.

Here's what they look like:





and,



Kevin

 

[Grumpy]

I think I can “see” the idea underlying this photo -- relative softness of the flowing water contrasted against the hardness of the rock.

Some selective brightness-contrast adjustments to bring out more detail and texture in the rock would help bring the picture to life. Likewise to liven the water, but be careful not to blow out and block up the bright area at the base of the cascade. Some judicious sharpening of the overall image also would help make it more arresting.

I think this image has potential to be interesting, but it also well illustrates the formidable challenges to be found in dealing with this kind of subject matter. Try some different cropping, giving greater emphasis (prominence) to the water (top) and the rock (bottom), and see what happens.

G.

 

[LivesToHike]

Good Ideas.

I thought it was a little dark, with not enough detail in the shadows. I took 3 approaches to adjustment. a. levels b. shadow/highlights and c. exposure.

Hey Kevin,
Much appreciate for all the effort. I liked #2 & #3. I may do the same and repost it. I don't have PhotoShop, but do have Corel Paint Shop Pro. I'll see what I can do...

Mike

 

[LivesToHike]

Good ideas.

I think I can “see” the idea underlying this photo -- relative softness of the flowing water contrasted against the hardness of the rock.

Some selective brightness-contrast adjustments to bring out more detail and texture in the rock would help bring the picture to life. Likewise to liven the water, but be careful not to blow out and block up the bright area at the base of the cascade. Some judicious sharpening of the overall image also would help make it more arresting.

I think this image has potential to be interesting, but it also well illustrates the formidable challenges to be found in dealing with this kind of subject matter. Try some different cropping, giving greater emphasis (prominence) to the water (top) and the rock (bottom), and see what happens.

G.

Grumpy, Thanks, man. Appreciate your ideas and thoughts. I may combine some of what you suggested - esp, but not limited to the cropping and brightness/contrast, with what Kevin demonstrated. I'll go easy on the bottom of the cascade.

Best wishes,

Mike

 

[darren]

Technically, you did a nice job. Good depth of field, nice sharpness on the rock, nice motion blur on the water. Nice job.

Some red maple leaves on the rock would really make the shot. As it is now, there are two subjects, the rock and the water. The two subjects are about evenly split and IMHO neither one is interesting enough to command attention. I seem to go back and forth between the two, but am left wanting something more.

I realize that there were probably no red maple leafs around when you took the shot, but go back next fall and try it again. Sometimes you have to go back to the same location a dozen times until you get a shot that you are happy with. Some red or yellow leaves on the rock would be killer. They would be the subject and the rocks and moving water would complete the story.

One minor nitpick is that without colored leaves around, the small brown leaf on the rock is a bit of a distraction. If possible, you could have used a stick or a hiking pole to just push it off into the water. I wont rip live plants out to improve a shot, but I have no problems with moving dead leaves out of a shot.

- darren

 

[Mark Schaefer]

I agree with the earlier comments that this is a successful, well composed photo. It appears to me it would benefit from the use of a polarizer filter to remove the glare on the wet rocks. Then the movement of water would stand out from the rock better.

I agree that the sole brown leaf does not help. As Darren mentioned, if there were other colorful leaves in the photo, the brown leaf would be less of a distraction. There are some nice browns in the rock that would be nicely complemented by autumn leaves. I consider it wholly acceptable to arrange some fallen leaves (colorful side up) on the rocks. The objective would be to make it look natural, so the arrangement should not be too regular. Perhaps include some red/yellow overlaps. While it is true that most fallen leaves tend to fall color side down, I place them in photos color side up because it is infinitely more attractive. A trained observer will recognize it as a manipulation, but likely the general public will not.

Another minor distraction is the two pronged twig caught in the water at the lower left. Very likely a stick could be used to dislodge it, and send it on its inevitable way down the stream.

 

[LivesToHike]

Thanks everyone!

Darren -- thanks, good suggestions. I will go back in the Fall to re-shoot this scene. This was taken in January, so the leaf selection was very limited. Having some additional color would help alot. And yes, that brown leaf is distracting... ...I quite agree.

Mark - thanks both for your suggestions on leaves, as well as a removing both distractions. I hadn't thought of arranging the leaves, but I guess it's fare game. We arrange portraits, so why not nature. It's almost like a manual photoshop...

Appreciate all the suggestions folks. All have been helpful in making me think more about what I'm photographing, framing, and post-processing. Good brain-stew, me thinks.

---Mike

 

[kmorgan]

One minor nitpick is that without colored leaves around, the small brown leaf on the rock is a bit of a distraction. If possible, you could have used a stick or a hiking pole to just push it off into the water. I wont rip live plants out to improve a shot, but I have no problems with moving dead leaves out of a shot.

- darren

What leaf?



Gotta love that clone tool! Went back and took out the branch in the water too.

Kevin

 

[kmorgan]

One more.... I duped the base layer after cloning away the leaf and the branch.

Next I applied the Shadow/Highlights adjustment to lighten the whole image. I added a Hide All mask to that layer, selected the mask, and painted away just the area between the rocks to show bring out the detail in the shadows.



What do you think?

Kevin

 

[LivesToHike]

One more.... I duped the base layer after cloning away the leaf and the branch.

Next I applied the Shadow/Highlights adjustment to lighten the whole image. I added a Hide All mask to that layer, selected the mask, and painted away just the area between the rocks to show bring out the detail in the shadows.

...
...
What do you think?

Kevin

Kevin -
Wow, cool! Thanks. That's just magic. Now you see it, now you don't.

I wonder if the copy of Corel PaintShop Pro I have will do the dup function, and other things you did. I'll look at it.

Thanks again!
---Mike