Walla Walla River, monochrome

[EOBeav]

If I'm going to offer critiques, I need to post my own images for the same occasionally.

This is from a recent evening on the Walla Walla River here in Eastern Oregon. I'd like to know what you think about the composition, monochrome treatment, and overall look/feel of this photograph. Thanks for taking the time to create some meaningful dialogue. You can see a larger view here.


River Dance by Rick.Scheibner, on Flickr

EXIF:
Camera Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L
Exposure 0.6
Aperture f/16.0
Focal Length 17 mm
ISO Speed 100
Exposure Bias 0 EV

I was using a polarizer during this time, but I honestly don't remember if I used one for this specific shot or not. I'm thinking I did.

[Doug Sundseth]

I really like the water here. Your exposure time was well chosen and the shapes work well.

I like the trees in the upper left of the photo. The shapes and contrast work well in B&W.

I don't much care for the bushes at the top center and right of the photo. In B&W they merge to a barely relieved medium gray for me.

The rock in the stream is interesting, but since it intersects the bank in the image, it's hard to see the shape well.

I'd like the far bank to be either horizontal in the photo or more obviously diagonal. The current angle is close enough to horizontal that it gives me a bit of a tilted feeling.

Possible recommendation: Move downstream a bit (and ideally up as well) and possibly use a longer lens to put the rock in front of the more interesting vegetation, give it separation from the far bank, and increase the diagonal effect of the far bank.

Alternatively, find a rock nearer your bank for more foreground interest (though the water shapes might be enough to carry the composition without anything else) and compose the background to maintain interest through the depth of the image.

[EOBeav]

Thanks for your helpful comments, Doug. My main concern ran along those lines as well. I wondered how well that rock fit in this image, or if I would have been better off rotating my camera to the left and leaving it out altogether.

[Prue]

I really love the lines of the water, it works well in BW, the title is perfect. I have to agree with the rock being out of place. I think your right, if you turned to your left and omitted the rock all together it would make for a better composed shot. Great Location.

[milosh]

I agree with the comments about the rock, but I also find the image to be unbalanced, the upper portion constantly draws my attention away from the river. I would try to frame it differently, keeping in mind both the rock and the visual mass of elements.

[EOBeav]

Originally Posted by milosh

keeping in mind both the rock and the visual mass of elements.

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[dbright007]

I think he may be saying what I was thinking.. the river itself with just the rock is a great and powerful image. Very well done. But that perhaps you don't even need all the foliage in the top half.
Beauty of the shot is the bottom half, the top just distracts in B/W. In color, maybe a different story.

[milosh]

Originally Posted by dbright007

I think he may be saying what I was thinking.. the river itself with just the rock is a great and powerful image. Very well done. But that perhaps you don't even need all the foliage in the top half.
Beauty of the shot is the bottom half, the top just distracts in B/W. In color, maybe a different story.

Exactly! The upper portion is distracting, but you still need it. If you were to shoot the river leaving out the upper bank, it wouldn't feel right, would it? You need the upper bank to provide a sense of placement and common sense for the river, but since the bank has so much detail, showing too much of it can detract from the river. I would have to experiment in the field, but I guess you should use a longer focal length or just change the angle of your camera.

[EOBeav]

All good comments. In the rivers and streams where I live, .5 to 1 full second generally gives me some good results for water flow. The challenge for me as a photog is framing it in a scene that makes sense aesthetically and allows for other elements to complement it.