Hadlock Falls (Acadia National Park)

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...Edit-Edit-.jpg

Hey Friends,

I really need some help with this one. I'm really not sure what to make of this image.

The original image is from our trip to Acadia back in June. This time we were a day early and a dollar short rather than a day a late. The day after we hiked up to the falls, it poured and the falls was raging. Anyway, I made a number of images using my 30D and 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with a Singh-Ray Vari-ND filter to slow and smooth the water in the falls. The problem was that try as I might, I couldn’t seem make the image pop. It just looked flat. So I just forgot about them.

Today, I went back to the images and got an idea. I created two additional images at +1 1/2 EV and -1 1/2 EV in Lightroom. Then I combined the three using Photomatix. The tone-mapped HDR image started to pull out some interesting colors and details from the aforementioned flat image. Then I took the resultant image into Topaz Adjust and made some further color enhancements in there.

This is the result. Much more pop and much more color than the original but what do you think? Like it? Don’t like it? Why? Your thoughts would be appreciated?

a beautiful image Ed.....super selections in pp.
I might crop off the small rocks at bottom(just above sig) and let
the larger rocks visually support the image.

colors are wonderful.....print this one on metallic paper maybe

Ed, The larger rocks are fantastic. I like the color tones in the image and as Dave mentioned this would make a nice print.

Nice image and application. Interesting colors.

beautiful image handled very well here
agreed with Dave about cropping and printing
TFS

Hi Ed, After studying the image There are some options.(subjective, of course) Dave's comment has merit that by taking the pool out on the bottom you make the large rocks the waterfalls base. I also looked at cropping off some space on the left so the base rocks loose some dominance and give more strength to the falls....

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...Edit-2-Edi.jpg

Thanks folks. I really appreciate the feedback. I had shared this image with a friend who knows Hadlock Falls well. She described the image as hideous! So I was afraid I had taken it too far... maybe too far for a photo but not too far for OOB!

Anyway, I played around a little more. I think the green pops more here. Too much? And I did crop the bottom to eliminate the pool and make the rocks the base. Better? Worse?

IMHO.....the crop looks great Ed, but I find the green high sat a bit strong.
I differ from the other Dave in that I feel the rocks are the strongest focal point, more
so than the falls. I would play up the rocks all the way from bottom and
up the left center to bring a frame to the falls. A lot of work with selective
saturation, but the larger version may well be worth it.

I like the crop also. We see a lot of waterfall snaps but this one focuses on the rocks with the water as a backdrop. good aspect. I wouldn't be wild about the colors if I were working on a typical landscape shot, , but then this is an OOTB experience and that's good.

Ed, Very subjective regarding the colors. Also, what is your center of interest? The rocks on the bottom or the waterfall?