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Author Topic: Left Behind  (Read 3083 times)

Matt Tilghman

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Left Behind
« on: November 03, 2012, 09:32:32 pm »

I often hear my friends from the east coast say "I think I would miss fall too much," regarding moving west. Or even my friends who are out here already say that they do miss fall. This always confuses me, because there is certainly an autumn here in Northern California. It's true, many of the landscapes are dominated by evergreens or other trees that don't turn. But there are certainly pockets of hardwoods that change color in a brilliant display, you simply have to know where to look. My favorite place for fall in the Bay Area is Uvas Canyon, about a half hour outside of San Jose. Here is a piece from my most recent trek to Uvas Canyon. On this visit, my eye was particularly drawn to the forest floor, especially the ways in which the leaves and streams interacted with one another other. Shown here is the foot of Granuja Falls, and a lone leaf that has been left behind by his comrades.

Hope you enjoy!

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Jeremy Roussak

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Re: Left Behind
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2012, 03:52:39 am »

Hope you enjoy!

I do, a lot. However, I wonder if you haven't used rather too long an exposure. I appreciate that you wanted to blur the water; but the effect has been apparently to blur some of the leaves closest to the edge of the stream, which, for me, rather spoils the effect.

Jeremy
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stamper

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Re: Left Behind
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2012, 03:59:00 am »

Jeremy I think you are nit picking here? Those leaves appear to be partially under water. The amount of blur is subjective and there will always be people who want more or less. That was the poster's decision. I respect him for it. I think this is one of the best images I have seen on the site and especially for this type of photography. Nothing to fault. Well done!

shaunw

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Re: Left Behind
« Reply #3 on: November 04, 2012, 04:09:29 am »

For me...the blur in the leaves where they're submerged and likely have a slight movement of the water about them is natural and fine. I like it, you've got a lovely range of tones/colours I particularly like the luminosity you've captured in the wet rocks...good work.
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francois

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Re: Left Behind
« Reply #4 on: November 04, 2012, 05:00:11 am »

It's a beautifully captured autumnal scene. I'm not bothered by the long exposure as my eyes seem to stay on the golden leaves and glowing wet rocks. The lonely leaf on the dark rock is welcome.

Well done.
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Francois

Jeremy Roussak

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Re: Left Behind
« Reply #5 on: November 04, 2012, 10:56:54 am »

Jeremy I think you are nit picking here? Those leaves appear to be partially under water. The amount of blur is subjective and there will always be people who want more or less. That was the poster's decision. I respect him for it. I think this is one of the best images I have seen on the site and especially for this type of photography. Nothing to fault. Well done!

Yes, I'm nitpicking; but it's worthwhile, I think, when the image is generally so good. I'm usually very fond of long-exposure shots of moving water. I like the blurring effect it gives. In this shot, though, the blurring of the leaves at the edge, when the others are so nicely sharp, disturbs me because it looks odd. I suspect that a shorter exposure, long enough to blur the water but not so long as to blur the leaves through it, would have worked better.

It's a critique. That is what shots posted here invite. De gustibus.

Jeremy
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Matt Tilghman

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Re: Left Behind
« Reply #6 on: November 04, 2012, 11:15:54 am »

Thanks guys!  Glad you all like it.  And Jeremy, I took no offense to your comment at all -- critiques are welcomed and helpful.  After all, you even said you liked it a lot!  No need for the backlash you received, haha.

Anyways, one of the reasons I like waterfalls is for the same reason many people like black and whites.... the same scene can take on an entirely different personality just by simply changing the exposure time (and with black and whites, by changing the color map).  I chose a very high level of blur because I wanted to emphasize how perfectly still the leaf on the rock was, even though water was flowing over it.  A shorter speed would have possibly emphasized the power of the water which the leaf was resisting, a nice subject topic itself, but wouldn't have given the feel of permanence I sought.

Thanks again everyone!
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Jaffy

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Re: Left Behind
« Reply #7 on: November 04, 2012, 12:15:31 pm »

Excellent image, nicely done.
jeremy brought up a valid query which made me look more carelully and then really get the feeling of being there, with the slightly blurry edge leaves giving a nice transition between the rushing water and the still pool.
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ErikKaffehr

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Re: Left Behind
« Reply #8 on: November 04, 2012, 12:24:25 pm »

Hi,

What a great picture! Love it!

Erik


I often hear my friends from the east coast say "I think I would miss fall too much," regarding moving west. Or even my friends who are out here already say that they do miss fall. This always confuses me, because there is certainly an autumn here in Northern California. It's true, many of the landscapes are dominated by evergreens or other trees that don't turn. But there are certainly pockets of hardwoods that change color in a brilliant display, you simply have to know where to look. My favorite place for fall in the Bay Area is Uvas Canyon, about a half hour outside of San Jose. Here is a piece from my most recent trek to Uvas Canyon. On this visit, my eye was particularly drawn to the forest floor, especially the ways in which the leaves and streams interacted with one another other. Shown here is the foot of Granuja Falls, and a lone leaf that has been left behind by his comrades.

Hope you enjoy!


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Erik Kaffehr
 

sdwilsonsct

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Re: Left Behind
« Reply #9 on: November 04, 2012, 02:20:06 pm »

Wish I had shot that. Congratulations.

IanBrowne

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Re: Left Behind
« Reply #10 on: November 04, 2012, 10:26:26 pm »

I'm a bugga for doing this; I would suggest rotating the image for a better leading line composition that ends up with a triangle of interest.......brown/gold colour water to the leaves to the single leaf and back down to the brown/gold colour in the water.

I also think I would like to see a photo of that single leaf; now that's my sort of photo.

I also find the blown out highlight in the water a little distracting

Have said all that I think the photo is worth a frame as I really like it

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