West Burton Falls

I'd say that all works pretty well, Len. Was there a particular reason for posting for Critique? The more you tell us, the more we can help you.

I'd say that all works pretty well, Len.

Was there a particular reason for posting for Critique? The more you tell us, the more we can help you.

Now there's a familiar name from the forums, welcome to the Critique Gallery Len! Like John above, I'm curious as to what you are looking for here. You know what you are doing technically, I'm going to comment on my main preoccupation, composition. Quite apart from the fact that I am suffering from acute bag envy, red clothing is potentially God's gift to photography, but I'm not sure about how you used the figure here. The red is too striking to be an incidental, too small to be a real focal point. If the composition is about the falls, then the figure risks being a bit of a distraction. I think I would have wanted to compose for her, using the water as her frame, and using the lens at full length to bring her forward, make her more important in the frame. Here she is pushed back, insignificant. But that's viewing on a screen, I can well imagine this working at A3. I've just prepared two cropped modification (the second is a drastic crop so at this size image quality has suffered.) They are really to illustrate alternative approaches. No other changes made. Moira

Now there's a familiar name from the forums, welcome to the Critique Gallery Len!

Like John above, I'm curious as to what you are looking for here. You know what you are doing technically, I'm going to comment on my main preoccupation, composition.

Quite apart from the fact that I am suffering from acute bag envy, red clothing is potentially God's gift to photography, but I'm not sure about how you used the figure here. The red is too striking to be an incidental, too small to be a real focal point. If the composition is about the falls, then the figure risks being a bit of a distraction. I think I would have wanted to compose for her, using the water as her frame, and using the lens at full length to bring her forward, make her more important in the frame. Here she is pushed back, insignificant. But that's viewing on a screen, I can well imagine this working at A3.

I've just prepared two cropped modification (the second is a drastic crop so at this size image quality has suffered.) They are really to illustrate alternative approaches. No other changes made.
Moira

[quote]Now there's a familiar name from the forums, welcome to the Critique Gallery Len! Like John above, I'm curious as to what you are looking for here. You know what you are doing technically, I'm going to comment on my main preoccupation, composition. Quite apart from the fact that I am suffering from acute bag envy, red clothing is potentially God's gift to photography, but I'm not sure about how you used the figure here. The red is too striking to be an incidental, too small to be a real focal point. If the composition is about the falls, then the figure risks being a bit of a distraction. I think I would have wanted to compose for her, using the water as her frame, and using the lens at full length to bring her forward, make her more important in the frame. Here she is pushed back, insignificant. But that's viewing on a screen, I can well imagine this working at A3. I've just prepared two cropped modification (the second is a drastic crop so at this size image quality has suffered.) They are really to illustrate alternative approaches. No other changes made. Moira[/quote] Although the fall has much to offer it also has challenges - particularly the black area where the figure decided to take closer images of the falls.. I took landscape shots at a longer focal length but feel this one works best. Last night during an RCPS zoom session I was asked about shutter speeds for flowing water - and made my usually comment - it part depends on the speed of the water. When I took this (having bracketed different shutter times) I decided 1/3 was about right for me - though the previous evening with less water flow 1 second was about right. I could easily make the figure bigger - though everybody local would likely notice the figure had become the size of a giant. A current Covid challenge is meetings of no more than six and no print exhibitions until probably 2022, is getting feedback. Len

Quote:Now there's a familiar name from the forums, welcome to the Critique Gallery Len!

Like John above, I'm curious as to what you are looking for here. You know what you are doing technically, I'm going to comment on my main preoccupation, composition.

Quite apart from the fact that I am suffering from acute bag envy, red clothing is potentially God's gift to photography, but I'm not sure about how you used the figure here. The red is too striking to be an incidental, too small to be a real focal point. If the composition is about the falls, then the figure risks being a bit of a distraction. I think I would have wanted to compose for her, using the water as her frame, and using the lens at full length to bring her forward, make her more important in the frame. Here she is pushed back, insignificant. But that's viewing on a screen, I can well imagine this working at A3.

I've just prepared two cropped modification (the second is a drastic crop so at this size image quality has suffered.) They are really to illustrate alternative approaches. No other changes made.
Moira


Although the fall has much to offer it also has challenges - particularly the black area where the figure decided to take closer images of the falls..

I took landscape shots at a longer focal length but feel this one works best.

Last night during an RCPS zoom session I was asked about shutter speeds for flowing water - and made my usually comment - it part depends on the speed of the water. When I took this (having bracketed different shutter times) I decided 1/3 was about right for me - though the previous evening with less water flow 1 second was about right.

I could easily make the figure bigger - though everybody local would likely notice the figure had become the size of a giant.

A current Covid challenge is meetings of no more than six and no print exhibitions until probably 2022, is getting feedback.

Len

Thanks for the extra info, Len. There are two really significant things that leap out at me from it: one is that the velocity of the water affects the shutter speed required for any given degree of softening. We often say the reverse - fast movement requires a high shutter speed to freeze it - but I'm not sure how many of us turn it round automatically! Thank you for making the point. The other thing is the difficulty of having physical meetings and discussions in a time of Covid. Why not get all your fellow-members to join EPZ, and post in the Critique Gallery, with queries, problems and hooks to hang discussions on? This always works best as a conversation, and the more people adding thoughtful and crafted contributions, the better!

Thanks for the extra info, Len.

There are two really significant things that leap out at me from it: one is that the velocity of the water affects the shutter speed required for any given degree of softening. We often say the reverse - fast movement requires a high shutter speed to freeze it - but I'm not sure how many of us turn it round automatically! Thank you for making the point.

The other thing is the difficulty of having physical meetings and discussions in a time of Covid. Why not get all your fellow-members to join EPZ, and post in the Critique Gallery, with queries, problems and hooks to hang discussions on? This always works best as a conversation, and the more people adding thoughtful and crafted contributions, the better!

Thanks for emphasising the importance of shutter speed and slow movement. Shooting moving water with a relatively wide angle (the EXIF says this was at 41mm) can show different degrees of movement at different distances - as in the strong blur of the waterfall, the minor blur in the dark pools below it, and the third degree of blur as the water flows out of the image bottom left. I was taught our eye and brain see at the equivalent of 1/60th. Shutter speeds slower or faster can show movement in ways we cannot ordinarily perceive. Suggesting I comment on the critique gallery is a good one - though right now I am working on two new zoom presentations

Thanks for emphasising the importance of shutter speed and slow movement.

Shooting moving water with a relatively wide angle (the EXIF says this was at 41mm) can show different degrees of movement at different distances - as in the strong blur of the waterfall, the minor blur in the dark pools below it, and the third degree of blur as the water flows out of the image bottom left.

I was taught our eye and brain see at the equivalent of 1/60th.
Shutter speeds slower or faster can show movement in ways we cannot ordinarily perceive.

Suggesting I comment on the critique gallery is a good one - though right now I am working on two new zoom presentations

Thanks for getting back to me on that, Len - and may good fortune attend your Zooming!

Thanks for getting back to me on that, Len - and may good fortune attend your Zooming!