waterfall with ND filter - overprocessed?

[savishy.pv]

Hey guys,

My first critique entry. I have been trying to get the smooth effect on my waterfall photos for a while now. On this one I used a (pretty cheap) ND filter. After processing this in Lightroom (for a few hours), I thought I got it right... almost.
Something definitely seems off, and I'd like your help. Specifically:
* Could I have moved a little to the right and framed this better?

* Did I over-process the water streams in my quest to get that silky effect? [the water that day wasn't flowing all that strongly, I had to add a glazed effect to add some "body"]

* Could I have lit up the rocks around the falls a little better?

Specs: 1.6s, F16, 18mm, ISO200, no flash. ND filter, EOS Rebel XS

[TravisL]

The water is blown out. Great composition. And great looking spot!

[ArmySoldier777]

Savishy.pv,

Personally, I love the image overall. You're going to get a lot of different opinions about the questions you asked though, because everybody prefers something different in shots like this.

My 2 cents,
Composition: In my opinion, yeah I think you could have moved just a little to the right to better frame the scene. But as is, it's still a great image.

Silky Effect: I don't think it's over processed at all. The blown out effect gives it a dreamy effect. I really like what you were able to achieve. It's silky, and it's bright enough that it stands out from the rest of the image. And being that it's the main subject, I think it worked out very well.

Rock Lighting: I think that the rocks are just fine the way they are. If you lighten them up too much, the waterfall itself isn't going to be focused on as much. As it is, I think they're lit up just enough so that you're able to see the details, but not too much to draw attention away from the waterfall.

Contrast/Colors: I know you didn't ask this one, but I just wanted to say that I think you captured the colors in the scene very well. They're not over-saturated, but they aren't bland either. Very well done.


Like I said, you're probably going to get a lot of different opinions on this image, but that's just what I think about it. I look forward to seeing more of your work,
David

[savishy.pv]

Thanks a lot, David and TravisL! I was wondering whether or not to take a print of this image. You guys just sealed the deal!