What the crop?

[ajroahkni]

http://jaraki.smugmug.com/photos/629119845_Dbyp9-L.jpg

Stumbled across this waterfall scene on a rare hike this weekend. I think I got the exposure right, but using a rock as a stand, feel that I failed to compose the scene properly (I think it'd be great if there was more water, less trees).

I would appreciate your cropping help to make the most of what I got.

Thanks,

John

[Mr. Quiet]

Maybe cutting off the rocks on the left side would make it look better?

[Nikolai]

Maybe cutting off the rocks on the left side would make it look better?
+1
Make it square!

[Miguel Delinquento]

To me the issues with the shot are larger than cropping the existing frame.

This must have been a mighty pretty place to experience. The sounds of all that flowing water bouncing out of the wall would be music to my ears.

I wish this photograph would have captured that feeling. The viewing perspective is too wide and far away--the shot needs some depth and intimacy to work right.

I assume you couldn't have gotten to an area more rightward with a telephoto? Or much closer with the wide angle lens?

Technically the lighting is too flat. The moist green ground covers should glow. The color of the whole scene is a little too blue cast as well.

Do you have any other shots of the scene?

M

[TonyCooper]

I'd like to see a little more water at the bottom of the photograph, but if that isn't in the frame you can't add it in. I don't see you need to crop anything out. If you like this ratio, there's nothing that has to go that will significently improve the shot. It's fine the way it is.

The grass seems a bit over-saturated to me. That bright green tends to grab eye, and the grass is really there in a supporting role. Also, if you have an editing program, I'd suggest painting a little color on that tree trunk in the center to make it less noticable.

[ajroahkni]

Thanks all, this is the stuff I'm looking for. Keep it coming! I want to be a better photo-taker.

Of course, some background:

This is at the end of "Secret Beach" in Princeville, Kauai (HI).

Let me tell you, the name's not accurate...when we got there, we knew we were at the place because of the bumper-to-bumper parking lot of cars. Furthermore, it's a 130' cliff that you hike down and then 500 or so yards across sand & lava rock to get to this place (and what goes down....). Also, they said it was a nude beach - believe me, no hot naked chicks. Thankfully, no fat or hairy dudes either.

This waterfall wasn't in the guidebook, so it was a nice surprise to see. Believe me, the "forbidden guidebook of kauai" (or whatever they call it) grossly oversold the "secret lava pools" and didn't mention this waterfall 100 yards past it - whatever. I had my camera, a $10 "knockaround-kit" sigma lens and my A1.7 50mm pentax lens in the bag (which that shot was taken with). It was 3 pm, facing into the high-in-the-sky sun. I had a polarizer filter on to try and eat some of the sun, along w/ -exposure. 3 sec at f22.

The camera's pretty much at the far right end of the outcropping of the bay looking back into the falls.

Enough of excuses, I blew it when I had the shot. :D

Here's the scene at 28mm on the kit lens - the first thing I saw when I got there. (I should have tried the long exposure on this one, but I'm not so quick) - :rofl you can see my hand as a makeshift hood on the top right.
http://jaraki.smugmug.com/photos/629118850_UuyE2-L.jpg

Here's a portrait view that I took of the same scene w/ the 50:
http://jaraki.smugmug.com/photos/629119238_7uSZT-L.jpg

Here's a slightly desaturated crop of the original post
http://jaraki.smugmug.com/photos/631520180_VvFsa-L.jpg
(as) GOOD (as it'll ever be?)

Thanks,

John
:D

[rainbow]

Try cropping the top 20% (of the last desaturated crop) or so to eliminate the middle tree at the top with the roots and see if you like that better. I think the eyes then lock into the cascading water and do not wander around the frame. I like the photo - you should not berate yourself for "blowing" the shot.

[junglejim]

Frankly i see the picture being of the waterfall . I personally would bring the top down to a panorama type crop and emphasize the falls. when I scroll and create a panorama crop I like it best.

Jim

fwiw

[Zimtok]

My eye is drawn to the right most water fall with the most water flowing.
I would try a crop close in on it. (Maybe convert to BW)

Next time your at this locatiion try to get down to the water level and take a shot, also from far left and right. Try to get as many different view points as you can.



.

[Dave Clee]

Well for me this photo is just a little to flat...as in depth..It reminds me of someone who stumbled across a waterfall and snapped off a photo.
If 10 other hikers happened to walk across this line, they would probably take the same shot.
Where is the creativity ? You obviously found a really nice place to shoot. Was this the only angle you tried.
Did you try to work this scene now that you have found it ?

The 1st thing I do when I find a nice place to shoot is sitdown for a few minutes and observe. Get a feel for the surroundings and look to see what would make creative angles.

Would of been nice to see a much lower angle, with some foreground included, maybe a path of water leading the eye to the falls ?

Yes you definitely found a nice spot, but for me your framing / composition
doesnt convey that in the photo posted.

Cheers

Dave

[ajroahkni]

I agree with what you said, David.

Exactly like you said, I stumbled across a waterfall and snapped a photo. I wasn't prepared and didn't think it through in the limited amount of time I had there.

Next time I happen across a place like this I'll be ready, thanks to you and the posters here in this thread.