falls/stairs

[ilya]

Welcome suggestions. Delaware Gap, PA.
10D, 75-300IS (handheld), F8, 1/125, ISO100



http://images.fotopic.net/?id=1199072&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

and maybe this version

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=1199071&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

thank you in advance
ilya

[Conk]

ilya
You have a nice photo here but I find the stairs are keeping me from being able to see the main subject. As I look at it I want to see more of the falls.
Also, I think you may have more than one photo opportunity here. The falls and the stairs separately.
Can you reshoot this? If you can I'd really like to see.
If I had to choose between these two I'd say I like the B&W.

[ilya]

Conk wrote:
ilya
You have a nice photo here but I find the stairs are keeping me from being able to see the main subject. As I look at it I want to see more of the falls.
Also, I think you may have more than one photo opportunity here. The falls and the stairs separately.
Can you reshoot this? If you can I'd really like to see.
If I had to choose between these two I'd say I like the B&W.

Funny story. These falls are 2.5 hours away. The only lens I manage to take with me is the 75-300is. Could not get one decent shot from top to down of just the waterfall from the viewpoints.

So I guess I was making the stairs as the subject, and falls as background. Are there rules in photography about use of strong or overpowering backgrounds in composing?

I like the B&W also, seems to take away some of the 'busy-ness'?

Thank you
ilya

[Leighow]

Well, even if there are rules.. what about this shot-- in the sense is that you have to take what you get with the equipment you bring.

From the point of view of the stairs, I like your top starting point, and many of us will have walked such a steep staircase. That said, I wonder whether you might have been to include morew of the bottom landing.

From the point of view of color, it looks like a lovey day, but we really only have Green and White (including blacks). If there were a landing, someone standing on it might have anchored the stairs more.

Well, here again I say, wait for some change in the few leaves that are here and shoot again !

HOWIE

[Warman]

I love the colour shot, its alive, it transmits passion. BW is too depressing for it, feels like you are showing a beautiful thing dead. Doesnt work for me at all.
The only thing i feel is out of place is that metal rig anchoring the stairs to the rock, it sort of spoils the harmony of the picture a little but hey, how are you going to remove it right? It is hard to see a picture that says something to me and this one does.
Overall, nice catch.

[ilya]

warman wrote:
I love the colour shot, its alive, it transmits passion. BW is too depressing for it, feels like you are showing a beautiful thing dead. Doesnt work for me at all.
The only thing i feel is out of place is that metal rig anchoring the stairs to the rock, it sort of spoils the harmony of the picture a little but hey, how are you going to remove it right? It is hard to see a picture that says something to me and this one does.
Overall, nice catch.

Thanks Warman! Nice to hear. :)

Leighow, Conk, I do plan to make the trip back there in the fall, and hopefully will have a 17-40L to get both the full falls, and the fall's colors!

thanks again
ilya

[jim monroe]

For me it is certainly okay to forget the "rules" occassionally, if you stick with them all the time seems you will never take an exceptional photograph.
Rather than disliking the stairs I like the shot with the stairs better than I would without. I've seen enough shots of waterfalls. The stairs and falls make for an interesting juxtaposition, sort of man and nature contrast.
I agree with I think it is Lieghow, my main problem with the composition is the cutting of the stairs at the bottom right of the photo. Leaves me sort of dangling and looks incomplete.

[fattizzi]

Nice shot. Although it seems to be a bit busy and unclear on what your main subject is. I would like to see the top portion cropped to emphasize the stairs. Black and white is very nice though.

[stopbath]

I like how the steps and the water fall have about the same angle, and take up pretty much the same space...

Could you move a bit more to the right? This would provide more substance to the steps (as you would see more of the steps.)

A longer shutter speed would blur the water, and loose some of that busy feeling and perhaps make the shot even more tranquil.

[ilya]

stopbath wrote:
I like how the steps and the water fall have about the same angle, and take up pretty much the same space...

Could you move a bit more to the right? This would provide more substance to the steps (as you would see more of the steps.)

A longer shutter speed would blur the water, and loose some of that busy feeling and perhaps make the shot even more tranquil.



Wish I could, the right side of original is exactly as the crop, and I was trying to get the upper balcony and the free falling water on top right above it. The issue was again, I left the 28-135 at home, and all I had was 75-300 and you can't move back far enough. I also didn't have a tripod, the handheld stuff at slower speeds didn't work out, even tried using the tops of rails for support, but you know how that goes. Not very prepared, but I think I did the best I could under the circumstances!

jim monroe wrote:
For me it is certainly okay to forget the "rules" occassionally, if you stick with them all the time seems you will never take an exceptional photograph.
Rather than disliking the stairs I like the shot with the stairs better than I would without. I've seen enough shots of waterfalls. The stairs and falls make for an interesting juxtaposition, sort of man and nature contrast.

I guess I have a future then, cause I don't really know the rules :) I know there *are* rules because I read an article in a mag about breaking them!

But I'm learning a lot from everyone here, thank you all


Ilya