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Their Honeymoon Was Off to a Rocky Start
Their Honeymoon Was Off to a Rocky Start
Dr.Confuser


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Free Study 2010-04 (Advanced Editing VII)
Camera: Nikon D3
Lens: Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Location: Snoqualmie Falls, WA (USA)
Date: Apr 24, 2010
Aperture: f/8
ISO: 800
Shutter: Various
Galleries: Landscape, Water
Date Uploaded: Apr 27, 2010

 Photographer’s Notes
This is Snoqualmie Falls, WA (USA). The buildings at the top of the photo are the Salish Lodge, a romantic getaway and local honeymoon destination. I took this photo in the same shoot as my entry in the B&W Landscape challenge. While that photo was modestly successful, I appreciated the color version more and so I’m showing a different view here.

For the record, there’s a ½ mile trail steeply down from the lodge to a viewing platform. You need to climb over a sign (that says, “Don’t Climb Over This Sign. The River is Dangerous and YOU May Die” Or something similar.) Once over the sign, you climb down a 50-foot near vertical rock face (in my case carrying a 20 pound pack full of camera gear) and scramble over the rocks toward the falls. At my age, I should know better!

This is one of those places that present a vastly different personality depending on the season, the weather and time of day. Today, it had been raining steadily and hard for hours but was forecast to improve. I wore Gore-Tex and my camera pack has a good rain shield. On queue, the weather improved as I reached the river. I photographed away, often waiting quite a long time for others to come and go, and clear my field of view.

As you’ll see below, I worked the photo over pretty hard in Photomatix and Photoshop. I wanted to catch the feeling of cold and dreary, just beginning to improve. Maybe I did.

Here are other challenge entries taken of the same falls at different times and viewpoints:




Post Processing
• HDR & Tonemap 7 Originals (Photomatix)
• Stack Middle Original Over HDR and Align (PSCS4)
• Reveal Original Falls Detail (PSCS4 Mask)
• Straighten (PSCS4)
• Crop (PSCS4)
• Dodge & Burn Lodge and Rocks (PSCS4)
• Selectively Brighten (PSCS4 Curves Layer Masked)
• Increase Water Contrast (PSCS4 Curves Layer Masked)
• Saturate Clothing )PSCS4 Hue Sat Layer Masked)
• Selective Desaturate (PSCS4 Hue/Sat Layer Gradient Masked)
• Boost Rock Saturation (PSCS4 Hue/Sat Layer)
• Darken Rocks (PSCS4 Curves Layer Gradient Masked)
• Resize (Genuine Fractals)
• Save for Web (PSCS4)
Whew!


Camera Data
• Date: 2010-04-24 2:44 PM
• Camera: Nikon D3
• Lens: Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED @ 31mm
• ISO: 800
• Aperture: f/8
• Shutter: Various

Statistics
Place: 60 out of 394
Avg (all users): 6.2555
Avg (commenters): 7.2000
Avg (participants): 6.3824
Avg (non-participants): 5.8857
Views since voting: 1453
Views during voting: 270
Votes: 137
Comments: 14
Favorites: 7 (view)

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AuthorThread
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS
 07/17/2010 09:55:31 PM
So it turns out this is a great picture because I was just there today and the lower section is completely closed until 2013 for remodeling. You could only shoot from the top! :(
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS
 06/30/2010 11:48:15 PM
Wow. Lots of water coming over the falls. That's the most I've seen.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS
 05/14/2010 02:29:23 PM
I really like the whole vision of this - how you approached the shot, how you edited and presented it. It holds together very well. Nicely done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D850
Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED VR
 05/14/2010 02:06:57 PM
** Critique Club **

First Impression
If I were standing in this spot I would be holding my breath at the power of it.

Subject
A very beautiful location. I think that the honeymooner's story was a nice aspect to show. I also love how you told us about the setting and what it took to get there. It really puts the scene into perspective and adds to my enjoyment of this photograph.

Composition
The triangular composition works great here with the falls and the two couples. I kind of wish this perspective didn't include the lodge at the top since it pulls my eye some from the main subjects and makes me focus on the desaturation instead of the story. The couples do a fine job of fitting to the story of the honeymoon on their own quite well.

Lighting & Color
I can appreciate the time you took in post processing to convey the atmosphere of the weather. After reading your notes on it I can say that it does do that, but only because you pointed it out to me. I would not have made the connection during voting. Your use of HDR has done a great job of giving us good detail and texture throughout the picture and is very tastefully done.

Thank you for a beautiful scene. I enjoyed learning about this place and the attention to detail you had in your post processing. If you have any questions about this critique please send me a pm.

Have a great day!
Chris
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS R5 Mark II
Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM
 05/10/2010 02:32:16 PM
Great shot - good job with the pw also... Beautiful!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D300
Nikon AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 12-24mm f/4.0G IF-ED
 05/08/2010 01:51:30 PM
Somehow I missed this one. One of the better shotws of this location I've seen. Good job!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-550D Rebel T2i
Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM
 05/08/2010 08:43:10 AM
I love this place - I lived in Issaquah for a couple years back in the 80's and there are many good memories! Great shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-5D Mark IV
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS II USM Lens
 05/08/2010 05:29:23 AM
Magnificent!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Olympus OM-D E-M5
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4 ASPH
 05/08/2010 04:35:23 AM
I still like this one as much as I did when I first voted and my opinion hasn't changed. Looks like people with my particular "taste" are in the minority. The result of my own entry in this challenge reinforces that belief.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
 05/05/2010 09:06:54 PM
I can't freakin' believe there's a house up there.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III
Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO
 05/04/2010 12:38:38 PM
I like the shot, but if I could nitpick, I don't feel the selective desat was right for it. Both the color and mono areas look great, they just don't look right together to me.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-7D Mark II
Canon EF 24-70mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens
 05/03/2010 09:38:52 AM
Nice detail. I like it that there's some texture in the falling water.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Olympus OM-D E-M5
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4 ASPH
 05/02/2010 08:38:40 AM
Fantastic and impressive composition. Striking view. Great detail. Wonderful processing. I can almost hear the thunder and roar of the water and feel the spray and mist. My favorite so far for the Blue ribbon in this Free Study. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-5D Mark II
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS
 05/02/2010 01:07:25 AM
is this snoqualmie falls? i didn't know they would let you down there!...or do they not and you are all just rebels? were there no people in this shot i might give it a 10, but still an 8 for a gorgeous waterfall.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
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