Cataract Falls

PrevailingConditions · February 11, 2015

Cataract Falls is in Marin County (north of San Francisco for those not familiar with the area). It's a wonderful little series of cascades coming down into Alpine Lake, outside of Fairfax, CA. It's pretty much a rain-forest type environment and makes for a great little hike.

This was a little different for me. I've been here many times, but this trip was really mostly a family hike so I just brought my little Fuji, a polarizer + ND filter, and a little tripod. I was pretty happy with the results, but thought I'd share them with the group to see if you had any tips or feedback. It was certainly a lot lighter than carrying all my Canon stuff.

Thanks,

Mike

#1
DSCF1055b%202560x1600-X2.jpg

#2 - same pool as above, but different composition/framing
DSCF1058a%202560x1600-X2.jpg

#3

#4

David_S85 · February 11, 2015

Fantastic series of waterfall shots, and good post processing. I can't choose a favorite because they're all equally good.

Stumblebum · February 12, 2015

Nice set! Love first two!

boco · February 12, 2015

mooi al vind ik de sluitertijd te traag.
grt,boco.

kdog · February 12, 2015

Outstanding shots, Mike. Pretty impressive for a lightweight setup like that. You ought to send that first one into Fuji, they might want to use it. This looks like a great place to visit.

PrevailingConditions · February 12, 2015

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'm glad you like them. It is these types of experiences which really make me question the need for more expensive/bigger gear (for most things anyway). I commute on a train a few days per week and was looking for something that would easily drop into my bag. I previously carried a Lumix ZS-3 and it was just too noisy at higher ISO. I've actually opted for the Fuji for my last couple of business trips and it's been good. These were shot with a Fuji X-M1 with the kit lens, but now I'm thinking of upgrading to something with a viewfinder.

Boco, thanks for commenting as well. I understand that the long exposure has been done quite a bit and isn't to everyone's preference. I usually like it more so I tend toward more longer exposures.

Thanks again,

Mike

JC · February 12, 2015

All of these are great, but I like the last the best. I wonder if the first three are slightly over-sharpened? Great depth of focus from the small aperture, but the edges seem almost too sharp to me.

PrevailingConditions · February 13, 2015

JC wrote: »

All of these are great, but I like the last the best. I wonder if the first three are slightly over-sharpened? Great depth of focus from the small aperture, but the edges seem almost too sharp to me.

I suppose it could be. I don't see it in the originals, but it could have come from downsampling for display.

Thanks for commenting.

Mike

black mamba · February 13, 2015

Nice work, Mike.

I'm going to throw some strong kudos toward Taz. He excels in incorporating strong foreground elements in his landscape work and I've noticed that other shooters, perhaps subconsciously, are more frequently emphasizing such tactics themselves. That approach has certainly paid dividends in this series.

Our options to use equipment other than big, bulky DSLRs are growing rapidly. Mike's grouping here is evidence that there are arguments in favor of going the ' lighter ' route in many cases.

Take care,

Tom

Thelensspot · February 17, 2015

Beautifully composed with perfect long exposure results. That's getting the most from your equipment!
Nicely done. I agree with exploring Fuji's interest in this set.

Sam · February 17, 2015

Sorry.....I forgot to respond.

These are wonderful!!!

Sam

Cataract Falls

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