McWay Falls, Big Sur Coast

I like your remark in the Tech Details about this being the "first photograph". A little humor is good for all.

It is a great photograph, Brian, and I like the surge of sea into the grotto. Great composition. Nice long exposure effects. You say this unmanipulated and that is cool. But if it were mine I would tweak it with a little unsharp masking and help the color balance cool down on the falls. Still, a very nice photograph! Regards.

Hi Walter! Thanks for the comments, and you are probably correct in the minor alterations you mentioned. I shot this with a warming polarizer filter which enhanced the warmth on the rocks (I don't have a neutral polarizer yet as I'm still used to using my warming polarizer to counter Velvia 50's cool casts, this digital camera thing is new to me!). But most of the warmth on the fall is because the sun is low on the ocean horizon and it is facing directly towards the setting sun. When you mentioned the unsharp mask, are you suggesting it needs more or less sharpening? My Photoshop skills/knowledge is very limited and all I do is hit "sharpen" once on all my pics. Gracias again, I always appreciate your comments.

Check me out, a wilderness adventurer taking common easy-to-reach

places like Yosemite Valley and McWay Falls! Sorry, I'm just waiting

for the snow to melt so I can get into the high country. Still, I

think these places are very beautiful even if I use other people's

tripod holes. :^D

That waterfall looks like golden milk! sweet place and photograph Brian, looks like a little paradise, I could be there without problems for a long time 8) did you accesed to the beach?, sure wonderfull catchs around that fall !

Thanks Ferrando! I didn't access the beach because it's illegal to do so right here. Not only is it illegal, but the only way down is via steep cliffs so that would keep most people out anyway. I'd like to sea kayak through this cove though!

and a wonderful long exposure effect on the waves and falls. It's warm and inviting and... soon to be my new address.

Hi Brian. I understand now about the warming filter. Don't get me wrong, the photograph looks great. From looking at your portfolio I certainly am not the one to tell you your business. It is just that the falls, and perhaps the surf on the right, need to be cooler (in my opinion).

The sharpening is a hard call. Personally, I would like to see it slightly sharper (some of my stuff is too sharp however!). I never use the straight sharpening filter but only unsharp masking. There is more control with that. Regards.

Having seen many images of these falls myself, I never tire of them. The composition is wonderful. The image looks sharp enough to me. I think the falls look fine and compliment the warm rocks... looks like sunset lighting. I have a slight preferance to this image compared to the other one. I hope you get a polarizer and enjoy that 20D!

Wow, this is really great. I love your photos.

I agree the warm polarizers don't work so well on digital, even if you could correct for it using the white balance settings. I send mine back for a much better one.

Would love to go kayaking with you around that bend. Too bad I'm on the wrong coast, but drop me a line if you plan to paddle in Maine.

 

Just stumpled upon this and remembered one of my own shots of Julia Pfeifer Burns in which I included two of the large ferns that grow just below the trail in the foreground as extra depth clues. That works very well. But anyway you picked a good exposure time to show the smoothness of the waves without loosing all detail.

 

Best regards!

Monica Schulz