Hatchet Creek after storm

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This is just a small bottomland hardwood creek near Gainesville, Fl. Taken with an Canon AE1 with a 20mm FD on velvia.



-- Larry Korhnak (lvk@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu), January 11, 1999

Answers

Larry, the location is lovely and I like both the airy greens in the background trees and the silky look of the water. The lighting put together just doesn't do it for me, the water is too dark relative to the forest lighting.

-- Andrew Y. Kim (andy_roo@mit.edu), January 11, 1999.

It knocked my socks off :))) ! Really , i love it .

-- Adrian Sorescu (guide@rokura.ro), January 12, 1999.

I like the lighting and feel of the forest but find the foreground water too dark. The bright white spot below the foreground tree is distracting to my eye (I would have been tempted to use the clone brush there). Nevertheless, a nice composition.

-- Garry Schaefer (schaefer@pangea.ca), January 12, 1999.

Garry, I like the dark water and the subtle motion that was captured. A little softer light would have been nice but you can always get what you want. Thanks for the post Larry.

-- Micheal F. Kelly (kellys@alaska.net), January 12, 1999.

It looks as if you tilted the camera a little to much to the left. Other then that, I think it is a fine image.

-- Nick Stevens (nickstevens@hotmail.com), January 12, 1999.


Larry,

First, I find the title misleading. I see no evidence of a storm. It just looks like a creek in the woods. I also see no real subject. Is it the forest or the stream? The blurred water is nice but the foam detracts and pulls at the eye from everywhere in the photo. The huge contrast range I also find difficult. Was the water really black? When I lighten it up enough to see the detail in the water, the trees and distant sky are washed out. A 2 stop ND grad would have helped.

Cheers

-- Bill (Bill.Wyman@utas.edu.au), January 12, 1999.


Thanks for taking time and making the effort to comment. Most of the water flowing out of Florida's forests is stained like dark tea from decaying vegetation. I was tempted to clone or dodge out the really bright spot (caused by water flowing over the root) but I wondered how others perceived it. I guess I need to take a level to keep my horizons straight. Before the storm, the water was low and slow. It seems oblivious to me (since I took the picture) that the subject is a stream in the forest, but I post these to try and see others perceptions. I think the contrast range is on the border for velvia, but I think the bright highlights "cheer up" the image. Thanks for all comments.

-- Larry Korhnak (lvk@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu), January 12, 1999.

Larry, I don't mind the dark water. I think there is enough detail in the foreground and in the background, where the reflections are; the bright, white highlight is distracting however. The water has a nice, cool feel to it. I like the wide-angle view of the stream, as it comes "pouring" toward the viewer out of the frame. I also like the "airy" greens of the forest. The lighting on the two trees in the foreground is a bit too contrasty and harsh but the bright lighting in the rest of the forest doesn't bother me.

-- Barbara Kelly (kellys@alaska.net), January 13, 1999.

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