Stumble (Click for larger view)

As I climbed upwards from the waterfall (see previous posting) the terrain

became more difficult to walk on, the rocks and holes became more and

more frequent until almost inevitably I stumbled and fell to my knees. But

while I was down there I took this shot. You can just see the lake, and I

would normally make the water more of a feature than this, but there was

no reflection......so the question is.......more water or less, or maybe none

at all? Your thoughts and comments are always appreciated. Thank You.

Alf, I like this image a lot.  You may have stumbled on your trek but you have produced an awesome image (especially when viewed larger).  For me, I really like the rocks and the rugged landscape, an don't really focus on the water.  The highlights for me is the ruggedness and your sky.  Bravo!

Hi Alf

No more water no less, perfect area management for this landscape shot as well a perfect post processing.

The foreground rocks are great (large, interspersed among the grass), but water seems to be an element that usually has special appeal.  The mountains in the background are interesting.  If I were standing here, I'd move forward with the intent to keep some foreground rocks but showing more water and the best possible composition of the more distant rocks.

I really enjoy the composition, balance, tone, color, and clarity.  Your photos are always so crisp! I don't know how you get the detail so fine.  Thanks for risking a broken leg to share this with us ;-)

Hi Alf, as you say, most of the time more would be made of the water in a shot like this, but with no reflections and all of the surface rippling I'm not sure what it would add to your shot. The foreground you have captured is really good, so on balance I think you have got it just about spot on.

Jed

Beautiful colours and composition. Very fine detail and sense of depth. A very beautiful place to be there. Congrats.

Good Morning Alf, A great shot in terms of composition, clarity and balance. I like the way all rockwork leads the viewers eye to the water from all angles. Maybe some shots like this one, do not require  more water if the other subject matter in this case the rockwork is interesting enough on its own. Well done.

BR,

Holger

Great work!

regards

/RA

Alf,  This shows what happens when you are both down and out ... with a camera.  Wonderful!   Larry

Being of shorter stature myself, I've always liked the low angle view point. Good detail throughout and I like how you've handled the sky and clouds. Best regards, Bob.

Large view must be seen for sure and looking it I feel like be there in middle of this nice nature spectacle,sharp and clear beginning with front rocks and grass(color is pleasantly too),this high mountain lake(maybe a former glacier pit) makes viewer impression of all this elements that are disposed round it.I like the way you composed and worked this landscape,compliments.

Hi Alf,

  I wish I would stumble up on a scene like this.  Beautiful image with wonderful POV, colors & sharpness.  Take care, Patsy

Yes, indeed - nature's land mines.  But their hazardous potential is not nearly as significant as their potential for beauty.  I'm amazed at how the cloud formations seem to be congruent with the structure of the mountains.  And, by the way, the water's function in this image is only to lure the viewer's eye toward the curve in the background.

Amazing as always . . .

michael

Ahhh, you've discovered that old person trick of acting like you're on your knees for a reason and not the result of a slip :-).  I think this composition works well with the teasing sliver of water showing.  If there were reflections I'd prefer a closer approach.  An excellent landscape...  Mike

Am sorry for the stumble but well done for the beautiful capture. I love the converging lines created by the rocks on the foreground and the mountain towards the little lake. All very detailed and the sky very well rendered. Excellent Alf!

Take Care.

Patrick

I think your fall to the knees brought you to the best POV.  The massive stones in the foreground make an enormous statement in the image.  The body of water makes a visual break between the rock of the foreground, and the rock of the mountains beyond.  Another fine image.

-Dave

I like it very much like this, Alf.  I'm sure that I would like it the other way as well, but it would be a very different photo.

--Lannie

It's strange how things can look completely different from a lower level, and stranger still when looking through a view finder to see that the rocks I paid no attention to a few seconds earlier suddenly look so attractive as a foreground.  I can't take any credit for the sky though, it was just there : - )

Sincere Thanks & Best Regards 

Alf 

MUSEEB 

Thank you so much for your interest and kind words!  It's pleasing to read that the area management works for you. The post processing wasn't very complicated just a couple of tweaks. 

Best Regards 

Alf 

STEPHEN 

Thank you for your thoughtful analysis, much appreciated.

I agree water does have special appeal and probably features in 90% of my work, but on this occasion the grey looking water was looking a bit bland with the wind rippled surface. The idea of a gradual move forward is a good one though and something for me to contemplate on my next visit.

Best Regards 

Alf 

DOMINICK

Sincere Thanks for your thoughts and kind words.

The crispness and sharpness are derived by the 14 - 24 F/ 2.8 lens which is a brilliant Nikkor lens and a simple sharpening technique in CS6  or any photo shop software. 

Go to "Filters" then "Sharpening" then "Unsharp Mask" and use the following settings : -  "Amount"  this is variable setting and I generally set it between 60 and 95,  next is "Radius" set to 0.9  then "Threshold" which is set to 0.

Best Regards

Alf 

JED 

Many Thanks for your interest and positive feedback.

Your thoughts relating to the water echoed my own, but it's always good to get a second opinion : - ) 

The foreground rocks didn't appear anything like as interesting until I looked at them through the viewfinder, strange how things can be immediately transformed by a lens.

Cheers Jed! 

Alf 

RAY 

The Snowdonia National Park is a wonderful place and covers thousands of square miles, I am just so fortunate to live within a couple of hours drive from it all. 

Sincere Thanks & Best Regards 

Alf 

HOLGER 

Thank you so much for your thoughts and observations! 

The converging rocks was something that appealed to me also, though I have to be honest, it wasn't until I fell, that I took the trouble to look through the viewfinder to see the potential of the view. And yes I agree, the minimal water is offset by the foreground.

Best Regards 

Alf 

R A 

Thank you so much for your interest and kind words! 

Regards 

Alf 

LARRY 

Down but not quite out : - )  Some accidents have happy endings and this is one of them, of course the ones that don't turn out that way you never get to see! 

Sincere Thanks & Best Regards

Alf 

BOB 

Being short does have it's compensations, I was always very jealous of the more vertically challenged colleagues when I worked down the coal mines, because at 6ft 2" my head was always in painful contact with the tunnel ceiling :  - ) 

Glad you liked the clouds, some selective darkening in Lightroom made it a quick and easy job. 

Best Regards

Alf 

RADU 

It's always particularly gratifying to read comments that indicate how the image makes a viewer feel and the fact that the image made you feel as if you were there indicates to me that it all works.  You are 100% accurate too, this was indeed a glacier pit from the last ice age! 

Sincere Thanks & Best Regards 

Alf 

PATSY 

A bit hard on the knees, but easy on the eye : - ) 

Thank you so much for your interest and kind words! 

Best Regards 

Alf 

MICHAEL 

The rugged terrain is indeed beautiful and it isn't the first time I've tripped, slipped and fallen amongst its many obstacles. On one occasion I fell across my tripod and would have fallen another 20 ft if it hadn't been there.  The leg is still slightly bent to this day : - )

Interesting to note your observations in relation to the waters function, it's a very valid statement.

Sincere Thanks & Best Regards

Alf 

MIKE 

 Lol I could get an Oscar for my performance, on my knees silently groaning in pain whilst apparently studying very interesting flora and fauna : - ) 

I quite like that analogy too "teasing sliver of water"  I have got shots of this place when it's calm, but in all honesty it's one of those places that you don't often get calm conditions.

Sincere Thanks & Best Regards 

Alf 

ADRIENNE

Although I love water as a feature in my landscapes, In this case I would agree with you totally, the rocks were more interesting.

Many Thanks & Best Regards 

Alf 

TAMARA

I never thought of it as "flower Like"  but since you mentioned it, yes it does have that appearance of outspread petals. Maybe I should have called it "Rock Garden" : - ) 

Sincere Thanks & Warm Regards 

Alf 

PATRICK 

I was more concerned for my precious camera than myself but all was well and nothing was damaged. 

The converging lines you mentioned did not become apparent until I looked through the viewfinder, but when I saw it I thought "hmmmm this has potential" after taking this shot I looked around for the next couple of hours for something similar and found nothing at all that come close.

Sincere Thanks & Best Regards 

Alf 

DAVE 

I think you are right, it did, a happy accident you might say!  The huge boulders that are prevalent in this area are remnants of the last ice age when the glacier scoured the rocks and left these rocks scattered everywhere in it's path. 

 Thank you so much for your astute observations and positive feedback.

Best Regards

Alf 

LANNIE 

Of course, you are quite right, a photo with more emphasis on the water would indeed present a different image to contemplate, but it's very pleasing to know that you like this as it is.

Sincere  Thanks & Best Regards

Alf 

A really beautiful landscape shot with impressive lighting and details. Alf!

Alf, thanks for the sharpening advice.  I find that many landscape photographers use that 14-24 lens, even Canon guys use it with an adapter.  You Nikon has a lot of pixels, as well, adding to the crisp appearance.

"...none at all..." wouldn't work for me.  So that means "more" or "as is".  I'll vote for "more" even though there would be no mirror like reflections. (rough water surface?)   It depends on how much a higher camera angle would degrade the super foreground.  If you could maintain the foreground perspective I'd go for a camera position allowing more water to be seen.  Just a teaser as presented.  Still, I love the clarity and colours of this image (as I do with most that you present here).  The weather in my neck of the woods is improving, hopefully to the point where I can get out and do some landscape work myself.  Your posts are a real inspiration but I hate the bitter cold we've experienced this winter.  Best, LM.

When a landscape is a masterpiece!