Lamoille Creek

Pioneer · 09-05-2009, 11:04 PM

I took this picture this afternoon with my SMC F 50mm 1.7. Other then a sharpening pass and some jpeg compression this is pretty much what it looked like right from the camera. What pointers would you suggest to make this better?

Damn Brit · 09-06-2009, 12:41 AM

Aperture was a bit wide, you should have stopped down to about f/8 or f/11 (maybe even f/16 if it was sunny) to get more in focus. This would also have given you a slower shutter which gives the water a silky look.

**Ash** · 09-06-2009, 01:24 AM

Would agree with Gary.
Waterfalls suit the longer exposures, and a little post-production work to accentuate colours and take away distracting factors in the image. Here the tree trunk on the left and the wiry branches on the right get in the way of the waterfall, the subject.

Pioneer · 09-06-2009, 09:58 AM

Thanks. I'll keep that in mind and try it out the next time I'm up there. I still have a lot to learn about getting my photos tack sharp. I just basically had the camera sent on Program mode at the time and I wasn't sure why they didn't come out as good as I had hoped. I'll stop it down some and try some more.

Damn Brit · 09-06-2009, 11:56 AM

Program mode will take the picture for you but it doesn't know what you want.

joeyc · 09-06-2009, 12:30 PM

Without knowing exactly what is the area of the shot, I would say a perspective from the right a little and lower would ideal. While I like the tree on the left, I feel it should be on the very edge of the photo - almost like a frame - this can be accomplished from a position to the right. A lower perspective will enable a sense of depth and height to the falls.

As others have mentioned, a F-stop of 11 or more would be better here as well. If you are close enough to this location, it is nice enough that it would be worth a return trip or two.

Joe

Pioneer · 09-06-2009, 02:59 PM

Thank all of you for your suggestions. I really have a lot to learn yet. I am always reading and trying out the suggestions in the books and magazine articles but there is nothing like having other experienced people around who are willing to look at your results and give their honest feedback. In this case, knowing which aperture settings would have given a better result is not something that immediately comes to my mind, but I will remember this the next time.

As for composition, unfortunately I had gotten about as close as I could and was perched on the edge of a small cliff that fell into the pool below the waterfall. With the 50mm prime using a zoom wasn't an option. I couldn't move right or left and from where I was situated, moving up was the only option. I was trying to hold the camera with one hand while I balanced myself with the other hand. Sounds a lot more serious then it was since the fall into the pool was only about 5 foot but I wasn't particularly interested in getting wet. I can still crop this picture and do some work in Paint Shop Pro to help bring out the colors but the clarity of the original shot probably doesn't make it worth more then a learning exercise.

I think that I probably could have gotten a better picture by taken the camera out of the Program setting, as suggested, and using a better aperture. But with the aperture set at f11, I'm guessing that my shutter speed would have been close to 1/15 in that light. I was using a 50mm lens and my hands are normally a bit shaky anyway so I would have needed some way to steady the camera, even with the help of the camera's anit-shake. Next time I'll carry my monopod as it would have come in handy here.

I had purposely put the camera on automatic hoping it would find the right settings that would allow me to get the picture. In retrospect what probably would have been a better move in this situation would have been to use shutter priority, select a shutter speed that I was comfortable with, and then let the camera figure the rest out.

Oh well, live and learn.

Pioneer · 09-06-2009, 03:01 PM

By the way, I will be going back to this spot and trying this again and I'll post the results when I get them. Besides, there is some absolutely gorgeous country further up this little canyon and I know that there are lots more learning opportunities here.

Damn Brit · 09-06-2009, 11:21 PM

You might not have been able to move right or left but you could probably turn right or left, sometimes that's all it needs.

FHPhotographer · 09-14-2009, 04:49 PM

I agree about the cropping, but I think I'd just take out the tree trunk on the left and leave the right side; the tough brush is a nice counterpoint.
The times I was in the Ruby's I didn't have a camera, so I look forward to your further postings. People who haven't seen this part of Nevada wouldn't believe what's hiding out there in the high desert.
Brian

cyy47 · 09-16-2009, 01:04 PM

Don't forget to take a tripod when you go back if you want to use slower shutter speed to achieve the silky water look.

09-05-2009, 11:04 PM	#1
Pioneer Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Wandering the Streets Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,411	Lamoille Creek Lens: 50mm Camera: K200D ISO: 200 Shutter Speed: 1/150s Aperture: F3.5 I took this picture this afternoon with my SMC F 50mm 1.7. Other then a sharpening pass and some jpeg compression this is pretty much what it looked like right from the camera. What pointers would you suggest to make this better?

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09-06-2009, 12:41 AM	#2
Damn Brit Guest	Aperture was a bit wide, you should have stopped down to about f/8 or f/11 (maybe even f/16 if it was sunny) to get more in focus. This would also have given you a slower shutter which gives the water a silky look.

09-06-2009, 01:24 AM	#3
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	Would agree with Gary. Waterfalls suit the longer exposures, and a little post-production work to accentuate colours and take away distracting factors in the image. Here the tree trunk on the left and the wiry branches on the right get in the way of the waterfall, the subject.

09-06-2009, 09:58 AM	#4
Pioneer Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Wandering the Streets Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,411 Original Poster	Thanks. I'll keep that in mind and try it out the next time I'm up there. I still have a lot to learn about getting my photos tack sharp. I just basically had the camera sent on Program mode at the time and I wasn't sure why they didn't come out as good as I had hoped. I'll stop it down some and try some more.

09-06-2009, 11:56 AM	#5
Damn Brit Guest	Program mode will take the picture for you but it doesn't know what you want.

09-06-2009, 12:30 PM	#6
joeyc Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 478	Without knowing exactly what is the area of the shot, I would say a perspective from the right a little and lower would ideal. While I like the tree on the left, I feel it should be on the very edge of the photo - almost like a frame - this can be accomplished from a position to the right. A lower perspective will enable a sense of depth and height to the falls. As others have mentioned, a F-stop of 11 or more would be better here as well. If you are close enough to this location, it is nice enough that it would be worth a return trip or two. Joe

09-06-2009, 02:59 PM	#7
Pioneer Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Wandering the Streets Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,411 Original Poster	Thank all of you for your suggestions. I really have a lot to learn yet. I am always reading and trying out the suggestions in the books and magazine articles but there is nothing like having other experienced people around who are willing to look at your results and give their honest feedback. In this case, knowing which aperture settings would have given a better result is not something that immediately comes to my mind, but I will remember this the next time. As for composition, unfortunately I had gotten about as close as I could and was perched on the edge of a small cliff that fell into the pool below the waterfall. With the 50mm prime using a zoom wasn't an option. I couldn't move right or left and from where I was situated, moving up was the only option. I was trying to hold the camera with one hand while I balanced myself with the other hand. Sounds a lot more serious then it was since the fall into the pool was only about 5 foot but I wasn't particularly interested in getting wet. I can still crop this picture and do some work in Paint Shop Pro to help bring out the colors but the clarity of the original shot probably doesn't make it worth more then a learning exercise. I think that I probably could have gotten a better picture by taken the camera out of the Program setting, as suggested, and using a better aperture. But with the aperture set at f11, I'm guessing that my shutter speed would have been close to 1/15 in that light. I was using a 50mm lens and my hands are normally a bit shaky anyway so I would have needed some way to steady the camera, even with the help of the camera's anit-shake. Next time I'll carry my monopod as it would have come in handy here. I had purposely put the camera on automatic hoping it would find the right settings that would allow me to get the picture. In retrospect what probably would have been a better move in this situation would have been to use shutter priority, select a shutter speed that I was comfortable with, and then let the camera figure the rest out. Oh well, live and learn.

09-06-2009, 03:01 PM	#8
Pioneer Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Wandering the Streets Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,411 Original Poster	By the way, I will be going back to this spot and trying this again and I'll post the results when I get them. Besides, there is some absolutely gorgeous country further up this little canyon and I know that there are lots more learning opportunities here.

09-06-2009, 11:21 PM	#9
Damn Brit Guest	You might not have been able to move right or left but you could probably turn right or left, sometimes that's all it needs.

09-14-2009, 04:49 PM	#10
FHPhotographer Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Fountain Hills, AZ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,297	I agree about the cropping, but I think I'd just take out the tree trunk on the left and leave the right side; the tough brush is a nice counterpoint. The times I was in the Ruby's I didn't have a camera, so I look forward to your further postings. People who haven't seen this part of Nevada wouldn't believe what's hiding out there in the high desert. Brian

09-16-2009, 01:04 PM	#11
cyy47 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Boston, MA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 157	Don't forget to take a tripod when you go back if you want to use slower shutter speed to achieve the silky water look.