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: 1455 Views during voting: 270 Votes: 137 Comments: 14 Favorites: 7 (view)
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! :(
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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