Jennifer Doerrie
July 2024 - Upper Yosemite Falls
About the Image(s)
Upper Yosemite Falls
May 16, 2024
ISO 125
f/11
1/125 sec. exposure
24-105 mm lens at 70 mm
The waterfalls in Yosemite are always beautiful in the spring. However, I sometimes struggle to capture their grandeur effectively. Here, the wind was blowing the water quite a bit. Does that make the image feel too off balance? Also, I set the contrast darker than I typically do, but I'm wondering if I need to either go even darker or not so dark. What do you think?
This round’s discussion is now closed!
15 comments posted
Hi Jennifer, nice to meet you!
Personally, I don't find the wind blowing the water quite a bit makes the image feel too off balance, so it's OK for me.
All the tones of the photo look nice, without underexposed areas; however some areas of the waterfall are overexposed, as the histogram shows. I can reccommend you to use luminosity masks to reduce just these overexposed pixels.
And perhaps a bit more contrast could improve the photo, especially in the right rock wall. Again you can easily try it with luminosity masks.
I hope I have been useful to you with my comments! Posted: 07/15/2024 17:35:39
Personally, I don't find the wind blowing the water quite a bit makes the image feel too off balance, so it's OK for me.
All the tones of the photo look nice, without underexposed areas; however some areas of the waterfall are overexposed, as the histogram shows. I can reccommend you to use luminosity masks to reduce just these overexposed pixels.
And perhaps a bit more contrast could improve the photo, especially in the right rock wall. Again you can easily try it with luminosity masks.
I hope I have been useful to you with my comments! Posted: 07/15/2024 17:35:39
Thank you Manuel. It's nice to meet you, too. Is the luminosity mask you would recommend the one mentioned with your image this month? I'll have to do some investigation. I enjoy taking photos, but my editing skills are much in need of improvement, particularly since I seldom put in the time I should with editing. Posted: 07/26/2024 06:25:19
Hi Jennifer, sorry for the delay in my reply. I have been some days in the Pyrenees...
And yes, the luminosity mask plugin I recommend to you is the one mentioned with my image this month. I hope it may be very useful for you!
All the best.
Posted: 07/29/2024 11:16:01
And yes, the luminosity mask plugin I recommend to you is the one mentioned with my image this month. I hope it may be very useful for you!
All the best.
Posted: 07/29/2024 11:16:01
I think the blowing water actually helps to emphasise the grandeur of the Falls. When we were there in Summer there was no water at all! Very boring!
I'm not sure I really know how to use luminosity masks so I'll have to do some research id that would help when I have too bright areas. Posted: 07/15/2024 19:50:41
I'm not sure I really know how to use luminosity masks so I'll have to do some research id that would help when I have too bright areas. Posted: 07/15/2024 19:50:41
Diana, I don't know if I can talk about brands in here. But there is a well-known and cheap panel which allows us to use luminosity masks in a very simple, fast and efficient way. I'm amazed of how can you do surgical selections of pixels on the basis of its luminosity or colour. Really impressive! Posted: 07/16/2024 07:57:18
OK thanks. Send me a private email. Posted: 07/16/2024 08:55:32
Please also email me the brand you are discussing
Posted: 07/21/2024 17:05:42
Posted: 07/21/2024 17:05:42
Okis! Posted: 07/21/2024 17:12:13
I always love your Yosemite photographs. In this case, my only comment is that the falls seem to have dark shadows behind them. Perhaps this is obviously because the falls block some of the light falling on the rocks on either side. I can't decide whether that's an advantage or disadvantage. On one hand, the darker rock frames the brighter falls. On the other hand, that rock is a little dark and hard to make out detail. Posted: 07/16/2024 13:45:26
Could it also be the rocks are wet because of the spray? Posted: 07/17/2024 08:35:43
Yes, that is a water stain rather than a shadow. Over the years, the water has permanently discolored the rock there. Posted: 07/26/2024 06:25:57
Another good image of Yosemite. I think that the wind helps the image. The trees around the falls really show the size of the falls. You did exactly what you should have done with a boring sky, not show much of it. I think that you have too much contrast in the area around the falls, as the falls appear too light with the shadow behind the falls too dark. Posted: 07/16/2024 14:56:37
I think Tom hit the nail on the head. Posted: 07/16/2024 21:18:38
Nice Image, if you were on a tripod, you could have tried a lang exposure to make the water smooth, but perhaps that would have been too much of a cliche! Posted: 07/21/2024 19:15:00
Nice Image, if you were on a tripod, you could have tried a lang exposure to make the water smooth, but perhaps that would have been too much of a cliche! Posted: 07/21/2024 19:15:01