Stock Ghyll Force – Lake District

Victoria Norman

Victoria Norman

Messages
34
Name
Victoria
Edit My Images
Yes
I've not had a wide-angle lens very long and was rather keen to try it out properly on a recent trip up to The Lakes. Ended up stumbling across some waterfalls not that far out of Ambleside and I've always wanted to have a play around at some slightly longer exposure shots. This is my first real attempt at capturing a waterfall so any thoughts/technique suggestions gladly welcomed so I can improve for the future! Still feeling like a newbie when it comes to all this stuff :) Thanks in advance!

31431344895_256247d05c_k.jpg
Stockghyll waterfalls, Ambleside[/url] by VictoriaNorman, on Flickr[/IMG][url=https://flic.kr/p/PTtRMz]Stockghyll waterfalls, Ambleside by VictoriaNorman, on Flickr[/URL]


[url=https://flic.kr/p/PVCGvt]Stock Ghyll Force, Ambleside by VictoriaNorman, on Flickr[/URL]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/PGKV4W]Stock Ghyll Force, Ambleside by VictoriaNorman, on Flickr[/URL]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/NE7cmx]Stockghyll falls, Ambleside by VictoriaNorman, on Flickr[/URL]
 
So, 3 almost-but-not-quite identical pictures plus one quite different. They've been up over 24 hours and no-one else has commented.

The composition of the 4th image makes it the strongest - great lead lines and that trident shape of water is very striking. The colours are lovely too.

Now the waterfall shots. I like the composition and water blur of number 3 best, but with the exposure/processing of number 2, though they all *feel* like they're leaning right due to the shape of the top of the waterfall.

The art of a wide angle lens isn't getting more in, so much as altering perspective, and these images are absolutely packed to the edges with fine detail. In general it feels like all the images lack bite a little, with the lovely colours all sitting together in the mid-tones just merging together in a warm brown blur. Perhaps hoofing contrast and/or clarity could help, or altering the luminosity of either yellow/orange or green to take one up and one down a little to break the monotonous tone. Have you crushed the blacks a little too?

Hope that's useful. :)
 
The third one knocks it out the park for me, love the way the 1 stream turns to 3 streams then back into one, leads the eye through the scene nicely. Colours a great too. Nice work.
 
ancient_mariner - thanks so much. That's really helpful and very constructive! Exactly the sort of thing I was hoping for! I think you're right in that some of them are a little on the wonk - I was a bit constrained in where I could get to on the river bank for the waterfall shots will have to see if I can step back any further next time I'm up that way. I'll have another play around with the colours as you suggest as I agree that they are a little overwhelming in the mid-tones. Getting some more of the darker tones in to number 3 would definitely improve it. Thank you again though - very much appreciate the time you've taken to give a response.
 
Thank you MrDrizz! Still some playing around to do I think but I'm starting to think three is my personal favourite (once I've had a go at re-processing it :) )
 
The fourth is a delightful shot, well done. With a tad more downward tilt would have been perfect to lose the slightly distracting light coming through the trees at the top so your eye only goes around the flowing water.
 
Ah great - thank you Craig and Peter for the suggestion :) Will have a fiddle around at re-cropping tonight.
 
I may be wrong here, but my feeling is that you haven't used the "uktrawide" angle zoom to its best. (I think) you need to get much closer and have the waterfalls filling the frame more. Get lower to the ground for the first scene would have been my thought but then open the lens to closer to the 10mm end.

...but I'm only just starting learning with my own ultra wide so I may be wrong!
 
As I'm not a fan of over-milky water I find the second shot to be timed best. Enough detail in the water to give an impression of excitement without totally freezing the moment. The last shot is good, seeing three steams merge into one, but I find the tall trunk on the left a little distracting. Maybe if it were simply selectively darkened down a little?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top