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Thread: McWay Falls Sunset

  1. #1
    BPN Member Julie Brown's Avatar
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    Default McWay Falls Sunset

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    Last week I took a landscape workshop in Big Sur with Don Smith and Gary Hart. This image is from the first shoot at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. When we got there the sky was gray and flat, and the scene was shrouded in mist. Then for about 5 glorious minutes-we got this light.

    Canon 5D MK II, 24-105mm f4L IS, ISO 200, f16@ 1/2sec, 0EV, pattern metering, tripod

    PP: LR 2.6
    slight crop off the top
    set black and white points
    enhanced clarity and vibrance
    tone curve: brought darks down
    removed dust spots with healing tool
    Nik Software: Dfine, Viveza, and Sharpener Pro

    C&C appreciated!
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    "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks”.

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  2. #2
    Robert Amoruso
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    Julie,

    I like the choice of shutter speed for the water. I am guessing that getting the small branches protruding on LR into frame would have required a death-defying maneuver. :)

    I would recommend a contrast increase with a mild s-curve and some additional sharpening.

    I lile the arch of the surf breaking, good leading line in the image.

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    Hi Julie, Agree with Robert regarding the leading line and sharpening. Regarding the foreground I would have either gotten more in(creating more of a bottom) or excluded it...
    Site is still working very slow for me...

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    Nice one you have here. Im not so sure about the sharpness here. I would also add some contrast to the misty areas. At the moment for me the mist makes the image look flat. Really nice shot still well done

  5. #5
    Ed Vatza
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    First off, I'm not sure you could pick a more beautiful place for a workshop than Big Sur. I am looking forward to returning again hopefully in 2011.

    Now for the image. Critique is alway difficult with these iconic locations like McWay. I do agree with a couple of the points made above. Knowing the slope, I would probably crop out the branches rather than risk trying to get more into the frame. And the residual fog/haze does leave a bit of a flat look to the image. Curves could help. Or if you have Nik, just boost up the contrast.

  6. #6
    BPN Member Julie Brown's Avatar
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    Thanks Robert, Dave, and Kobus for the comments. I cloned out the vegetation in the lower right corner, added more contrast. Here is the repost.
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    Looks great. Maybe just desaturate the water a bit

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    what a lovely scene - first waterfall I've seen that falls onto the beach at the breaking of the surf :eek:
    the repost is better in terms of contrast, sharpness and clarity, but saturated too much on the blue and yellow channels.
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Hi Julie, better, but I agree with Morkel and Kobus on some desaturation in those areas.IMO the foliage in the lower left is not adding to the image...

  10. #10
    Roman Kurywczak
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    Hi Julie,
    Site is finally back for me......agree with above comments on the re-post.....very slight contrast boost (maybe and LCE?) on OP (don't want to lose fog/mist). I also agree with LR vegetation....perhaps slightly more for a base....but your re-post fix works for me there. These are just tweaks to a very nicely composed scene.

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    BPN Member Julie Brown's Avatar
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    Ed, Morkel, Roman, Kobus, and Dave, I appreciate the additional input. I think the oversaturation occurred when I boosted the contrast. I agree that the vegetation is a distraction. I should have included more in the foreground in the original image. Here is my second repost with the vegetation cloned out and the orange, yellow, and aqua channels desaturated. Thank you for your critiques.:)
    Last edited by Julie Brown; 04-13-2010 at 10:15 PM.
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    I like this. Well done. Good work

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    One thing no one mentioned is the leading line of the water in the lower right which is great timing. I have been there a few times and it is a spectacular place. I wish there was a trail downto the beach, but I think it posted keep out and steep cliffs.
    Shooting from that location is difficult to do without including some vegetation. You might also have taken a few where you used the vegetation for framing the shot with some overhead branches. Eveh though a vertical, the waterfall is coming from the UL power point. good composition also.

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    BPN Member Julie Brown's Avatar
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    Thanks again, Kobus.

    Steve, thank you for the additional comment. This is a spectacular location and I'm glad to have seen it. I think it is too dangerous to go down to the beach because the cliffs are crumbly. I wish I had moved around a bit to get different perspectives, but there were 15 of us lined up along the path, waiting for the light. I was also distracted by a group of guys who kept sitting on the fence right next to my tripod to get their faces in snapshots of the falls. Other members of our workshop group did get images with the framing you mentioned.
    If I get a chance to go back someday, I will definitely remember your suggestions.:)
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    Lovely repost!

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    BPN Member Julie Brown's Avatar
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    Thanks Bob!
    My photoblog: juliebrown.aminus3.com

    My galleries: julielbrown.smugmug.com

    My WordPress blog: indybirdphotographer.com


    "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks”.

    John Muir

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