Eagle Falls

Below is a shot of Lower Eagle Falls at Lake Tahoe that I would appreciate some help with. While I like this overall, I think there is more potential that I can get out of this than I have - and would appreciate feedback.

Thanks everyone.
Dave

Hey Dave,
Beautiful photo. It is hard making a shot like this work when you are limited on where to shoot from. You dont see to many downward angle waterfall shots with landscape so that is kind of the first thing that hit me as a little akward but I can still see it as being an interesting element in the shot.
Personally the only thing I can think of, just from viewing what options I would have had in the photo, is using an extremem wide angle and if I had too, to make the shot work, I personally would have made my way of that tree to get more distance from the falls and allow for more of them to be in the pic with the horizon. Of course I am talking like fish eye lens material here. Like I said, your a bit limited depending on what you have to work with when it comes to gear options and accessable areas to take the photo.

On the post processing techniques to work with what you have, I would recommend maybe a blue gradient filter in PS that would had some more deep blue to the sky and maybe mess with the toanl contrast in the pine trees to make them pop a bit more. But awesome shot, Tahoe is on my list of places to see, I hope to make it someday. Take care, Scott

Dave,
I really like this shot BECAUSE of the unusual angle. In looking at it closely, the foreground is well-exposed and has nice detail and the background of the lake and mountains likewise is well-exposed and has lovely detail. The middle area -- the trees, etc. -- seems a bit muddy to me and I think there's more detail you can pull out of it. I'd try tone-mapping in Photomatix just to bring up that shadow detail and I'm betting you'd like the overall image better.

Nice shot.

Jim

Love the shot Dave. The square crop is probably the most limiting part of the peice. There is a lot of dynamics in the shot, but they seem balanced out, and with the square frame being the most static of frames to present a peice with, you have to establish tension. Thats the only peice lacking. The DR of the shot could also use a little work to bring back what the eye saw. The sky is just a bit washed out to what I would expect to see if I was there. Microcontrast would be helped with some curve adjustment.

The composition should be worked out in the field...but the rest can easily be worked after the fact as all the data seems to be there.

All in all very well captured....but needs a little fit and finish work to really make this very nice shot sing.

As always...willing to play a bit with it if your inclined to share the file.

Roman

Gianchetta, Jim and Roman,

Thanks for the suggestions.

Gianchetta - interesting thought about the wide angle - I can see that would have allowed me to change the perspective quite a bit, and moving nearer the tree could have brought in more of the falls from the side.

Jim - I see what you mean about the middle ground - I will play with that to see what I can bring out.

Roman - this is a stitch of two portrait orientation raw shots. That is why it is square - but I never considered that might be contributing to what I think is a less dramatic photo than I was expecting. I remember now you really need to be careful with square shots.. and use that crop appropriately.

I would welcome your offer to play with my raw files - that would be appreciated and I always learn from that.

I will send them to you when I get a minute - later this week. Really appreciate the offer!

Thanks again everyone for your help.
Dave

I actually played with the files and like what you got better than mine.

Its pretty hard to get away from the square format the way you shot it.

I usually shoot one wide, and one tall in a situation like this to work out what might end up being the best composition for a pano. Then I see if I can tag on any relavent information that can continue the story.

Roman

Roman,
I appreciate you giving it a shot. I do need to go wider and think about the overall shape when doing these panos. I just framed what I thought was good, but did not realize it was going to be square.

Sounds like a good reason to go back to Tahoe!

Take care
Dave

LOL....hey...if the excuse fits.....you now have a fun mission.

Roman