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Appalachian Sunset

I was so excited when I discovered the setting sunlight reflected in this mountain stream in the Appalachians a few weeks ago. I probably spent an hour taking various long exposures, crouching on slippery rocks almost falling into the river. And they looked great on my viewfinder, yet somehow I am completely unsatisfied with how this turned out. I cannot figure out how to process it so that I like it, and I can't figure out what it is that bothers me - but it's something about the colors/tones, I think. Can anyone tell me please - what is wrong with this picture? Please don't be afraid to be honest. I was using a polarizer to control the reflected light - should I have let more of the blue reflected light in rather than trying to get as much gold as possible? Something just seems very flat about this image - and I'm not talking composition-wise. Help!

Posted by Gaja at May 7, 2006 12:26 PM

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Comments

I like the photo, and I think the long exposure works well in blurring the water creating the sense of smoothness and softness. I too think that the sense of flatness may be due to the excessive brightness of the rocks, as luminouslens said. Maybe a smaller aperture would have allowed the same length of the exposure while at the same time providing deeper and more saturated colors, and a darker frame for the gold. A square format of this particular image (removing part of the bright rocks) may also be interesting to try.

Posted by: Massimo at May 15, 2006 12:31 AM

Gaja, I think possibly the combination of a too long exposure and the polarizer created a blurry blob of gold color as the focal point of the photo, and a flatter, more abstract image, instead of an interplay of reflection and transparency from the water. Maybe a slightly faster exposure would have given a sense of motion to just the rushing water around the bend, while leaving the stiller water to reflect not only color but also details of the sky and trees, and to reveal parts of the bottom of the stream. I'm just speculating, but that was probably closer to what you actually saw and liked about the scene, which was more complex visually (I'm not saying that it would have been actually possible to capture it exactly as you saw it, as this scene would definitely present a challenge). The technical choices in this photograph simplify both form (by erasing detail from reflections and transparency, you are effectively reducing three-dimensionality), and color (by favoring the gold light), which is of course perfectly fine if that is how you wanted to interpret what you saw. Photographs often surprise even the photographer who took them because they reveal more than you remember, or expected and intended to capture, especially in complex scenes. Maybe in this case the opposite happened?

Posted by: Alex at May 12, 2006 10:32 PM

I have to agree with Matt... I think it deserves a darker frame... Nice work anyway, good composition!
Michael

Posted by: 19 Seconds Of Spring at May 10, 2006 06:36 AM

I think the way you have captured the amber glowing reflection of the sun is perfect. What I would do to improve this photo is burn in the rocks that frame that reflection...they are somewhat washed out and bland, and they detract from the brilliance of the reflection. I think that amber light deserves a dark frame. Otherwise, I really like the composition.

Posted by: matt at May 8, 2006 10:09 PM

First of all, I really think this is lovely. The reflected color on the water and the softness from the long exposure are really pretty. I also think that the framing is very nicely balanced.

I think that what's flat about this image isn't the water, but the rocks. They seems like they are not very sharp and/or not very contrasty, and so you're not getting much drama from them. If they were stronger elements, then maybe the color from the water would pop a bit more. What happens when you adjust the contrast?

If you hadn't said that you felt this image was flat, I don't think I would have thought that. I would have assumed that this is exactly what you were going for. And I think it's very nice like this.

I'd be interested to see other versions of this scene too!

Posted by: luminouslens at May 8, 2006 01:22 PM

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