Morning Rush (View Large)

The mist was rapidly burning off and I wanted to capture it along with

the torrent of water (Courtesy of heavy rain the night before) that was

running down the stream to my left. Trouble was I kept blowing

highlights, and the simple solution was a quick 5 image HDR. Your

thoughts and comments are always appreciated.

Sublime morning and you've captured it well.  IMO an HDR in the truest sense and intent, that is, where the viewer cannot tell the technique used.  Excellent work...  Mike

You got your money's worth of the visit to those 2 lakes,the HDR looks very natural,it probably brought out the clouds and the mist better than the original shot,composition wise could not be any better,nice work,regards

Alf......

I clicked on this image to "view large" and WOW!......Breathtaking image Alf!....... IMO the composition is just perfect...... Feasting my eyes all over this image,I felt I could step into it.....smell the freshness of the morning air.....stroll leisurely across the bridge,hear the water gushing down the stream......The title has captured the very essence of the scene......what an idyllic place to have a morning rush... Well done Alf!

Kind regards 

Jacqueline

Fantastic color and lighting. The overall atmosphere is very soothing.

A fabulous scene and capture. My eyes roam the entire scene and I can appreciate all of the fine details in what appears to be very natural color. I like the way starts off with a golden and then fades into wispy vanilla topping. As Mike has said, this is what HDR was meant to do even though when my creative juices are flowing, I am not aversed to going with what some people call the "hDR Look".

If this was my image, I might want to re-process the very bright upper right area. Even if you decided not to re-process, the image is excellent 'as is'. I have read an interview with Charlie Waite (www.charliewaite.com) a very accomplished British landscape photographer that he is not averse to having very light highlight areas in his 'scenics'.  It comes down to personal tastes.

Gorgeous shot Alf! You had a lot of light range to cover here, and the hdr did that nicely without looking unnatural!. Love the light, and mist, in this shot.

All the best,
Neil

Fantastic image!Compliments and regards from Rome.

So great to see some of your new images Alf. What a beautiful location! Beautiful merge in HDR, glad you thought of it.  Excellent detail and colour. Beautiful big sky with that lovely mountain. I should have tried to find out where you took this first before commenting. Nice work!

Very nice HDR. I would never have guessed that this was HDR. I like also the composition.

Well Done,

Ben

Hi Alf. What a great image! If it is HDR then it has been very tastefully done. It looks a wonderful place to visit and you have done it justice! Great composition and details. Best wishes. Sarah.

Absolutely superb image Alf.  I just love the feel of this image. The subtle hues of green and the low mist just make this scene seem to come from a movie production. The bridge also leads my mind hiking along that trail to the village beyond.  I agree with Tony about the highlights.  It's not a major issue but i think it does draw the attention away from the rest of the scene. Great image superbly captured. Regards - michel

A striking HDR photo that captures exactly what I am always trying to do with my HDRs, namely keep the feel of a photograph while bringing in all the detail and color that would otherwise be lost in these high contrast situations. Once again a nicely chosen perspective makes for wonderful composition. About the only thing that feels out of place is that little house sitting almost smack in the middle of the frame. This scene feels like the bridge should be the only touch of humanity in the photo but hey this isn't even important to this scene and that is just a matter of taste. I always feel humans are wrecking beautiful scenes with their unsightly houses...at least there are no powerlines.

Wonderful HDR image Alf.

This image is so dream-like it is hard to believe it is true! Wonderful light and very good composition. I should start taking lessons with you!!

Regards, Tibi

Alf,

Yet another postcard.  Interesting that it is HDR.  Really well performed.

(This is my favorite of the Aug 10 series)

Cheers...

Jerry

Excellent work Alf. Well crafted.

Hi Alf, beautiful scene so inviting, good composition with the bridge, acts both as a leading line and as an invitation to cross it and see what is around the next bend. Beautiful, love it.   Sherry

and so compelling.  replaces "Tiny Islands" in "Favorites."  all best, j

Too damn good Alf.... too damn good.

The previous posters have said it all.

Beautiful............

Best regards

An exquisite image with beautiful coloring, very fine details and dof.  If you haven't mention the HDR I am sure that I couldn't tell.  Bravo!  Cheers!

MIKE

It was a beautiful morning that made you feel good to be alive, but to be truthful, I was about 15 minutes later than I would have liked to be. To be at this location on time (before the sun peeped out from behind that mountain) I should have got out of bed at 3.00 am instead of the 3.30 am......."no rest for the wicked" to quote my dear old grannies oft used phrase.

I'm glad you liked the more natural looking HDR, there are cases when a more surreal finish fits the bill, but "natural" seemed to work with this one.

Many Thanks & Best Regards

Alf

HARRY

The location for this one is Cwm Idwal in North Wales, well worth a visit if you get the chance. I think you are right about the HDR accentuating the mist and clouds. But I am very conscious of HDR skys, they can look far too surreal in a natural environment, hence my tendency to opt for the natural look on this one. The slightly elevated position I took seemed to work compositionally. I have tried a shot from this location before but it didn't look at all right, and I think it was because I was on a level plane with the bridge last time. Many Thanks for your interest and thoughtful comments Harry.

Best Regards

Alf

JACQUELINE

Sincere thanks for your thoughtful and most encouraging feedback, much appreciated!  I think if an image I have produced can invoke feeling when a person views it, then I have succeeded. When it seems I have invoked a similar feeling to that which I felt myself whilst being there, then it is even more gratifying.  I think you summed the location up nicely with those two very succinct words "Idyllic place"

Best Regards

Alf

BOBBY

Many thanks for your interest and positive feedback, much appreciated!

Best Regards

Alf

TONY

I love that terminology "wispy vanilla topping" sounds positively edible!

I think there is a case for the more surreal HDR too, but it depends very much on the subject matter and of course the prevailing conditions.  Cars, and vehicles in general seem particularly good subjects for more HDR look type finish that you mentioned.

I did leave the brighter area deliberately in order to convey the time and brightness of the scene, though I can understand why you would consider toning it down too.  I am familiar with Charlie Waites work and have a great respect for him as a photographer. Although I don't hold firm and fast views about brightness, (my only criteria being that totally blown highlights are for the most part, not acceptable). I find it better to approach each one with an open mind and see what works, but yes you are quite right, it is all very subjective.

Sincere Thanks & Best Regards

Alf

NEIL

Sometimes a quick fix is what is required and although I could have fiddled about with ND Grads and exposure compensation, the quickest way of sorting it was a 5 exposure bracketed shot sequence.  As you know, this is a relatively easy task to perform with the D700. Glad you like this one Neil.

Many Thanks & Best Regards

Alf

GUISEPPE

Sincere thanks for your interest and thoughtful comments, very much appreciated!

Best Regards

Alf

GAIL

This was taken in the Snowdonia National Park, North Wales, at a place called Cwm Idwal, further up the mountain track is a lake that lies on the bed of an old glacier from the last ice age. Its a wonderful place to explore.  This particular image shows the bridge at the beginning of the track and always reminds me of that childrens book, "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" .........every time I walk on that bridge I half expect an ugly Troll to emerge from beneath it and cry out "Who's that trip trapping over my bridge"!  I'm really pleased you liked it Gail.

Sincere Thanks & Best Regards

Alf

BEN

Many Thanks for your thoughtful comments, much appreciated! It's most gratifying to read that the natural look has succeeded to this extent.

Best Regards

Alf

SARAH

If you ever get to North Wales put this one on your list to visit, "Cwm Idwal" its a lovely area to explore.  Sincere thanks for your thoughtful comments and encouragement.

Best Regards

Alf

MICHEL

Many Thanks for your thoughtful observations and positive feedback, much appreciated!  I can relate to Tony and your views about the brighter area to the right, and there are ocassions when I would tone that down in processing. This time though I felt that the strength of the light was kind of intrinsic in illuminating the rest of the scene and therefore should remain. I don't maintain I'm right though, it just what worked for me on this ocassion.

Best Regards

Alf

JOE

Many Thanks for your interest and thoughtful comments, very much appreciated!

I am chuckling at your description of humans habitats as "unsightly houses" not in a disrespectful way, but because the dialogue you used, could have been mine a couple of short years ago. And I can still empathise to some degree with your sentiments. Powerlines remain my  mortal enemy! But I now think houses can be a positive element, as long as they don't overwhelm the landscape itself, I guess its all about proportional percentages.

On this ocassion though I don't think the house dominates in any way, and it seemed a good destination point to aim the viewer towards. Thanks again Joe.

Best Regards

Alf

TIBI

I have to admit, it was a morning that made me kind of "Gulp"!  with appreciation at the scenes that rolled out before me on the drive to this location. I broke every speed limit to try and get to my destination before the light became too bright, and the mist burned off.  I think theres a few things you could teach me Tibi........like how to make little planets for my very own "Solar System" .........yes "Galaxy" could prove a bit of a challenge even for you : - )

Sincere Thanks & Best Regards

Alf

JERRY

I'm glad you like this one, I think a lot of people would share that choice. Personally I think I'd go with the boat one. After all its not every day my wife agrees with me about something : - )

Many Thanks & Best Regards

Alf

FORD

Many thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, much appreciated!

Best Regards

Alf

SHERRY

Sincere thanks for your thoughtful comments and positive feedback.  I have attempted to photograph this scene before but couldn't seem to get the composition to balance with the bridge. This time I decided to try a higher perspective and it seems to have worked. I suppose its trial and error that sometimes prevails.

Best Regards

Alf

JAMIE

Weird is good, weird is odd, weird is different, weird is.......weird : - )

I can do weird! 

I'm very pleased you liked it though and again I'm very honoured that have added it to your favorites.

Best Regards

Alf

GRAYHAM

Wow! thats quite a compliment, I'm very flattered.  What can I say..........I was there at the right time ...the machines did the rest : - )

Sincere Thanks & Best Regards

Alf

PANAYOTIS

Many Thanks for sharing your thoughts and encouraging words, much appreciated!

The sky seems to the key with HDR images, it seems if you can make sky appear natural the rest kind of falls into place.

Cheers!

Alf

Alf, this is an image I missed, the inclusion of the bridge is great, I am a big fan of the inclusion of man made elements in landscape, you do this often and i commend you for it. tomany try to exclude them, but we live in a world where we have changed the landscape, you always show images whereour influence on the landscape has not been to the detrement of the natural beauty

Many Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I really like this simple wooden bridge too, but I have never been able to get the angle right before now.

It is most interesting to note your thoughtds on the inclusion of man made elements. I think that some small evidence of mans work within the wild beauty of the earth is not a bad thing. It seems to me that on this kind of scale it serves to accentuate the small scale of our influence that sometimes is quite in tune with nature itself.  I seem to remember that Stephen Penland shares similar views to ourselves on this subject. The British countryside has changed enormously over the centuries, but it still retains many attractive qualities, and I would go as far to say that many of the changes have improved the landscape aesthetically, particularly through selective deforestation and cultivation.

Best Regards

Alf

JAMIE

Not quite "The Corpse Bride" (my favourite)  but I'll take weird and a comparison with Tim Burton as a great compliment : - )

Best Regards

Alf

LEO

Sincere Thanks for your interest and kind words, much appreciated! It's strange I have visited this place about 5 times previously but it was only on this occasion that I found composition that worked for the bridge.

Best Regards

Alf