Over the Merced +B&W+RP

Gallery: LandscapePosted December 5, 2016209 views15 comments

Edit: Added reworked image

Ran out of text, but wanted to title this, "The Bridge Over the River Merced." Title homage to the great 1957 flick, "The Bridge Over the River Kwai." Over course the image has nothing what so ever to do with the movie.... the only connection I have is that this image was captured from a foot bridge over the Merced in the Happy Isles Nature area. I like to think of this area as the headwaters of the Merced, although technically the Merced river begins many, many miles further back in the Sierra, well above Nevada and Vernal Falls. However, this is where the Merced meets Yosemite Valley proper.

I thought this image would be a good time to express my thoughts on "silky" water, long exposures, etc. I totally understand those who don't care for this treatment of moving water (perhaps more so with ocean wave scenes that get flattened out and become "ghosting" of water.) I get that; it's true, our eyes don't see that. Conversely, it's also true we do not "see" in 1/1000th shutter speed stops. What we see and what our brains see are instantaneous snippets that we view that are essentially instantaneous video. We are unable to produce that in still images. The bottom line is that no matter what we capture with our cameras, whether it's a 30sec ocean wave image, a 1/2 raging river image, or a 1/1000th frozen waterfall image - none of those are reflective of what our brain records. For me, I love all of it. I love the flowing texture in an image like this one, I love the mystical ocean images and I love the heart-stopping frozen action of a mallard landing on a pond. end-o-rant.

For this one, I would love your thoughts, critique and suggestions. I had great difficulty with this one in processing. I wanted to retain/enhance the reflected, golden color on the main rock, but getting that right proved to be difficult. Also, providing a b&w version, which seems to do well with these type images.

thanks in advance for your thoughts!

Lon

Nikon D800E
Tamron 24-135mm
f/16 .5s 200 iso

Comments

15 comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on December 5, 2016 at 12:39 AM

here's the b&w for grins. any preference?

Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on December 5, 2016 at 7:55 AM

Lon, I like your ss choice here. It shows a combination of enough movement yet clear structure that I like. The golden glow on the rocks helps them stand out well. For me, that golden glow makes all the difference although it seems a bit strong.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Lowe on December 5, 2016 at 8:49 AM

Lon, for me, it's the color version hands down. IMO the golden glow on the rocks is what makes the image work.To me, even though there's not much color in the image, the image is all about color. Without it, there is just not enough tonal variation in the rocks to make them interesting.

Registered on February 11, 2004, 777 Posts, 5252 Comments

Comment posted by scott lanz on December 5, 2016 at 9:27 AM

The color for me as well, Lon. The golden reflections in the rocks make the image, although the water flow is excellent as well.

Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments

Comment posted by Preston Birdwell on December 5, 2016 at 9:47 AM

This is excellent. The water flow is handled perfectly. I do think the gold on the left-most rock is a little strong, though. The hints of color in the image carry this version for me. The B&W does not have the same impact. The composition is right on.
--P

Registered on November 1, 2003, 471 Posts, 5188 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on December 5, 2016 at 12:36 PM

Lon, This composition is really working for me and I much prefer the color version. Love the looks of the water and the golden reflections on the boulders looks great. Fantastic detail and textures showing up in the large version. This has a wonderful feel.

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI.

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on December 5, 2016 at 1:01 PM

YIKES, the color on the rocks is pretty over the top after coming back to look at this. Here's a reworked version I like a bit better.

thanks for the feedback! Agree on the b&w - in this case, the color is much more important element. I guess I could work more on the b&w version. I gotta admit though, I'm not real comfortable with these conversions. I started using Nik's Silver Efex Pro and honestly, one can't learn much just by going through and picking the best template... ;-(

Here's a version with color/sat toned down on the rocks and hopefully have not lost the general color. I hope this works a little better.

Thanks for the comments and observations!

Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments

Comment posted by Genny K. on December 5, 2016 at 5:12 PM

I definitely like the color version. To me, the rocks are the stars of this image. The bright colors brought out by the water are great, and the soft water surrounds and accentuates them.
Yeah, so the question sometimes is: do I capture what it looks like, or do I capture what it feels like? This one has the feeling of the rushing water.

Registered on June 5, 2006, 132 Posts, 2001 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on December 5, 2016 at 5:43 PM

Excellent, Lon. I like both the color and B&W and I think you could coax some more contrast out of the B&W. The repost is not working for me as well as the original. The bold golds really pop it nicely!

Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Schrayer on December 5, 2016 at 6:54 PM

I really like the flow and texture in the water as it has a lot of energy. My vote is for the color because the warm light on the rocks is an important element in this scene.

Registered on May 28, 2004, 114 Posts, 2890 Comments

Comment posted by Ed Lowe on December 5, 2016 at 9:54 PM

You guys really came away with some excellent images from your trip to Yosemite, Lon. My preference is for the original post as the rocks are the main event for me and I love that warm glow on their tops. That does not come through on the B&W version IMO. The SS choice does a masterful job of finding a balance between implying motion while retaining detail and texture. Great work.

Ed

Registered on February 7, 2004, 414 Posts, 7115 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Jirka on December 6, 2016 at 3:01 PM

I prefer the B&W. Who would of thought? sad

Registered on November 1, 2003, 254 Posts, 1620 Comments

Comment posted by Craig Moreau on December 7, 2016 at 12:00 PM

Lon, I like the original the best. I don't think the color is over the top. Also, there seems to be some cyan and even some blue or purple tints in the whitewater in the repost. I prefer the whiteness of the original. The shutter speed is spot on, and I totally agree with your thoughts on the silky water effect. This is one of my very favorite types of photography. Great eye (as always) to pick this out of all the chaos that is the Happy Isles area!

The only thing about the original is I would crop out that rock sticking into the left edge. I want to see more of it, or none at all. This also would crop out that bit of whitewater in the LLC, which distracted me a tiny bit.

Registered on April 21, 2015, 64 Posts, 584 Comments

Comment posted by John Williams on December 8, 2016 at 12:13 AM

I'll add my vote for the original Lon. I really like that color on the rocks, and don't think it is over the top.

I like the BW too, just not as much. On the BW though, I'd recommend a touch more contrast. In addition, I think this would look good with just a dash of coolness added. (I like just a tiny bit of cyan and and blue added.)

Registered on September 6, 2007, 221 Posts, 5985 Comments

Comment posted by David Schoen on December 8, 2016 at 6:36 PM

Another vote for the original. It has a little more liveliness to it whereas the repost has a little more flatness on my monitor. I think John William suggestion about adding some cool tones to the black-and-white would be interesting.

Registered on November 6, 2006, 1213 Posts, 4587 Comments