Great Smoky Mountains

[Cheryl Slechta]

This is a cropped version of some rapids that I took while on my way to Cades Cove. The larger image has green grasses growing in between some of the rocks that I didn't like which is why I cropped. I used some dodging and burning and selective sharpening on the rocks.
Canon 5DMkIII, Canon 70-200L, ISf/4 @ 70mm, .3 sec., f/11, ISO 50.
Thanks for looking. Comments and suggestions appreciated.:S3:

[dankearl]

I like the SS a lot and your PP has a painterly feel to it.
Close to OOTB, but still believable as a natural image.
I might tone down the rocks a bit.

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Cheryl, lovely work. The yellows in the water are awesome and I like how you positioned the flow of the water within the comp. I agree with Dan on toning down the rock a smidgen. I will typically use Viveza for such tasks and sometimes increase the structure slider for the rocks too.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Thanks, Dan for your comments. (I really do belong in OOTB:S3:) I'll do a rework real quick and see if I can improve it.


I like the SS a lot and your PP has a painterly feel to it.
Close to OOTB, but still believable as a natural image.
I might tone down the rocks a bit.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Here's a quick repost. The colors were pretty vivid in the water and i think I got into trouble by using Viveza on the rocks to begin with. I used it again and desaturated a bit and then some dodging and burning to tone them down a little more. Is this any better?


Hi Cheryl, lovely work. The yellows in the water are awesome and I like how you positioned the flow of the water within the comp. I agree with Dan on toning down the rock a smidgen. I will typically use Viveza for such tasks and sometimes increase the structure slider for the rocks too.

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Cheryl, almost there...if you reduce the contrast a little closer to that of the original post I think you will have it. Aren't these types of rapids great...I can spend hours and hours exploring the photographic possibilities that they have to offer.

[Grady Weed]

Hi Cheryl, I am with Andrew. It still has a painterly feel to it. But that is not bad. I might go a bit further and make it an OOTB type image. Just my 2 cents.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Grady, the "painterly" thing is in my blood I guess.:S3:


Hi Cheryl, I am with Andrew. It still has a painterly feel to it. But that is not bad. I might go a bit further and make it an OOTB type image. Just my 2 cents.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Here is another go at this - hopefully this one will be better:S3:

[Cheryl Slechta]

Now I know why I like OOTB. Actually, of these 3 I like the first one the best. However, I went back to my RAW file and I had increased the vibrance +10 in LR and I think that was the problem. Here is the RAW file uncropped that had nothing done in LR except camera calibration. In Viveza I increased the brightness +12, Contrast +8, Saturation +4, Structure +13. I think this looks better for the Landscape Forum.:S3:

[Morkel Erasmus]

I like this, Cheryl. Lovely colours and flow (good SS choice).
I do feel that there's a grittiness to the image that's gotten more pronounced as you did reposts. Your last "fuller frame" image has a better feel in terms of that (not as "gritty") - hope it makes sense?
I would soften some of the fine contrast here and also tone down the brights on the rocks and water just a wee bit.
Keep them coming!

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Cheryl, I like the last repost best...now that I have seen the original capture if you crop it similarly to the original post I would not take quite as much off the left side. Can't wait to see more :S3:

[Vivaldo Damilano]

Stunning composition, the golden blured water flowing at the bottom of the frame is beautiful. Agree with Morkel, rocks look gritty.

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

Nice image for sure with great colors and lots of nice movement. I personally prefer the OP to all the reposts but feel somewhere in the middle of the two would be perfect.

[Valerio Tarone]

Cheyl,agree with Morkel and Vivaldo the rocks loook a bit gritty, only a small bit. Like the golden colors. I think similar effects can be obtained with filters ND. An italian naturephographer (living in Sweden)published a book about 'colors of the water. If you're interested, since\ he's very disposable, i'll write you what he had used. Hi.

[Valerio Tarone]

Cheryl, yes name: Vitantonio Dellorto www.exuviafoto.it

[Cheryl Slechta]

Thanks, Valerio:S3: I'll check it out.


Cheryl, yes name: Vitantonio Dellorto www.exuviafoto.it

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Cheryl,
I don't mind the over the top colors.....since no one mentioned it....I eyed a pano crop ....just below the 2 large rocks at 2 o'clock.....I like the diagonal it makes! Just a thought as you hae gotten some excellent other suggestions above.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Thanks, Roman, I like the pano idea:S3:


Hey Cheryl,
I don't mind the over the top colors.....since no one mentioned it....I eyed a pano crop ....just below the 2 large rocks at 2 o'clock.....I like the diagonal it makes! Just a thought as you hae gotten some excellent other suggestions above.

[John Ippolito]

Hi Cheryl,

Great feedback above, but I keep going back to the OP, and I like the surreal colors in the water.

With regard to the gritty look, I took the liberty of taking the OP, adding a layer of gaussian blur blended in the soft light mode at about 15%, then added a few points of black to the neutrals in photoshop selective color. It is a very nice piece:S3:.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Thanks, John, for taking the time to improve it. I like what you did and I'll go back and rework it. I'm working on the images from that trip now as a matter of fact :S3: