Another waterfall from Jiuzhaigou, China

[Douglas Bolt]

Canon 5D, 24-105 @ 24, f22, .8 sec, +/- 0, ISO 50, slight crop, tripod.

This is the middle image out of three that I had intended to process via HDR, but I didn't like my results from either CS3 or Photomatrix.

PP included Threshold to set RGB black and white points at 10 & 245, Screen Blending to bring out the shadow detail (didn't like my efforts with reverse contrast curve), Selective color and H/S to bring out yellows in the bushes and moss, selected highlights and did a Multiply blend per Robert's suggestion on my previous waterfalls post to tone down the highlights (good tool!), some selective sharpening, resize, output sharpening.

The harsh, direct light was more of a challenge in this image that the previous waterfall. I'm not sure this image has much to offer other than to illustrate the nature of the falls. Maybe someone will see some potential.

[Robert Amoruso]

Doug,

Repost is processed similarly to the other water fall image you posted at http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=18137.

What I did different here is after selecting the highlights I set the blending mode to Linear Burn and not Multiply. I also did a SHadow/Highligh correction on a BG copy opened up shadows a bit but mostly I did it to use the mid-tone contrast slider which I set to +20 to boast mid-tone contrast lost in the reverse 's' curve.

I think the contrast control really makes the image appealing.

[Douglas Bolt]

Thanks again, Robert.

I liked that Linear Burn toned down the highlight a bit more than Multiply. And, S/H mid-tone adjustments opened up the shadows behind the falls, even thought it did muddy up the foreground a bit, in my opinion. A black mask over the foreground returned the foreground to pre-S/H lookd - another good reason to so S/H on a separate layer.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hi Douglas,
Roberts re-post did even out the whites quite a bit and your FG mask may also be a nice touch. You made lemonade out of lemons......and for that I applaud you. My wish is still for more even overcast light as that would have once again put it into another realm. Close to the edge on the FG right..... but nicely composed overall. The curved rocks almost look like they are floating!

[Kaushik Balakumar]

Beautiful image Douglas. Liked Robert's re-post.
Might crop a bit off from bottom but that's just a personal taste.

[Douglas Bolt]

Good idea. Just below the objects on the lower right, I assume. And, thanks.

[Arthur Morris]

Good job on th repost by Robert. There is really no good place to crop from the bottom. You either lose the swirly stuff on the ll frame edge or have to cut off part of the underwater small boulder just right of center below the big log. I like the crop as is.