Forest Stream

so that is where the rain went

Good to get your thoughts on this one. It was dry the day we went there. Wouldn't want to get caught there in a flash flood, no way out except the very steep slippery clay covered banks. (& I could hardly make it on a dry day :-) ) Stay safe. Best, LM.

It is hard to get order from chaos in the wood, and you found a nice place for this, worth the risky descend :-) Verticals and the diagonal let me explore the scene and follow the stream. Very nice colors, well composed landscape

Thanks for your most welcome visit & critique. Not what I would consider one of my most productive days, photographically speaking, and this was among the very few shots I took that I would consider good enough to print. Still working on that effort. Obtaining this order from chaos, as you say, required a crop of the original at the bottom. Too many distracting river highlights showing otherwise. The colours lean toward the neutral thanks to the Portra 160NC I was using. For a more saturated rendition go to Greg McCracken's folders. http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=9279691 We were together that day & he likes his images more saturated than I do. Best, LM.

Len, very good composition,exposure and DOF.

Thanks for your thoughts. Didn't get the composition right (for me) initially. Had to crop a bit at the bottom to satisfy the 'artist' in me. As for the DOF, credit goes to f22 & focus point about 12 - 15 ft out. Best, LM.

Nice capture and the presentation. DOF, light and the exposure is fantastic. Going through your portfolio is a great experience. Rgds.

Thanks for your visit & kind remarks. The light filtering through the trees was the main attraction for me & was measured with the aid of a Minolta lV f incident meter. This film is very forgiving on exposure, especially overexposure which I try to lean to. Glad you enjoyed tripping through my portfolio. Your own is worthy of many visits. Got you bookmarked. Best, LM.

Great capture Len! You covered the tough exposure range very well, just the right amount of blacks and I really like the fern in the lower left corner. Everything is nice and sharp too! Did you use a polarizer? I recall how tough it was to get down in that gorge! I still am amazed how difficult it was to get to the falls that we never did get to. I just had the doctor check out my knee that was exasperated that day, this morning. Its quite a bit better. Nice capture of that special, green place!

The fern, lower left, was no accident. I did use a polarizer but I think I forgot to dial it in on this one. Sometimes a dialed in polarizer removes the very highlights that attracted you to the scene in the first place leaving you disappointed & wondering why. Funny how a rather ordinary shot like this brings back memories of the pains we suffered that day. The soles of both my hiking boots have separated from the uppers no doubt due to the beating they took that day. (and to the fact they are probably of Chinese manufacture) As for this shot, I'm still debating whether to print it or not. It'll sit as my wallpaper for a while as I ponder that decision. In spite of the hardships of that trip I'm keen for another adventure so send me an e-mail when you come up for air. Best, LM.

Beautiful capture and composition ... lovely.

The best from a poor day (photographically speaking). Thanks for your visit & comment. Best, LM.

Your comments\critiques will be gratefully received. Best, LM.

Nice photo Len - I can smell the rain in the air! Thankyou for sharing. Regards Christine :)

Thanks for your visit. A photo can't be more convincing than that, can it? :-) Best, LM.

Len, my personal bias is to try to avoid a shiny surface on the water, and I do this by using a polarizing filter. There will still be areas of light-colored surface, but it wouldn't be as extensive. White generally attracts the eye, and having a darker stream "allows" the other elements in the photo to be seen more "easily." That aside, I like your composition, especially the fern in the lower corner and the log(s) extending on the opposite bank.

Good to hear from you. Long time no see. Don't know how you got deleted from my list of interesting people but I've got you bookmarked now. I did use a polarizing filter on this one but on my previous frame I had the camera pointed in a different direction & may have forgot to 'dial in' the effect in this one. Either that or it was one of those situations where the filter has minimum effect no matter the twisting or turning of it. Can't remember. Perhaps not an award winning shot but certainly one of the best from the shoot. (not a productive day, photographically, but we had fun all the same. I always enjoy Greg's company) Come back & visit any time, Best, LM.

hi Len- you have received lots of nice comments on your image & technically why the viewers like it. For myself I also like your image but technically I don't know why, all I know is that I find the image very relaxing to view & if I was in this spot with a nice tree trunk to sit & lean against I would enjoy just sitting & admiring the view.& perhaps even dozing off for a brief spell. Best Regards-Ross

Taken near the end of a long hike this was indeed a time for relaxation. Greg McCracken & I paused here to rest & afterward we resumed photographing. This was my result, Greg has a different view. This one has a more neutral colour balance due to the Portra 160NC film I was using. Thanks for dropping by. Best, LM.