Hey Marc,
Blown Out highlights are ones where there is no detail in the bright end of the register...so areas look like they are missing objects. For example, in the second to last photograph, the trees right around the falls are so bright that they are starting to fade into the sky. This is occurring because the camera is trying to expose on the water that is dropping from the waterfall.
Oddly enough, it really seems to work in the first composition - where I thought you had been playing with the photograph in photoshop for effect (and looks really cool, I might add). However, I am seeing now that it is a result of lack of latitude in terms of the camera's ability to record the data.
I am including a link to Luminous Landscape where they have an entire article about how to 'expose to the right.' I hope that you find it helpful.
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtmlCheers, and thanks for posting!!
James
