My favorite stream (and waterfalls too)

[Rui Lopes]

Sever do Vouga, Portugal:






Sorry for the watermarks but some of my photos have been stolen again and I am not willing to take any further risks...

[carregwen]

Very nice shots, Rui. A very idyllic scene. I think the highlights look a little blown in the stream of water in #1 and #2. I personally like the slow-motion water effect, and I do a lot myself. But one of the problems I find is there's always an area of water that is blown out, normally where the concentration of water is greatest. I find, by reducing the exposure selectively using the adjustment brush at the RAW stage on the area in question, lessens the blow-out in Photoshop. This has the advantage of not altering the exposure in the rest of the shot. Here's one of mine, before adjustment and after. The difference between was achieved by just using the RAW adjustment brush.

[Donald]

Rui

I note what Rob says about blown highlights.

You have created a wonderful harmony and balance of colour and tone. Although we are looking at water cascading down a hillside, they are, in fact, a very calm and peaceful images - helped by the amount of softening you have given the water.

I find the trees in the foreground of #2 and #3 and bit too dominant and for that reason think that #1 is the most pleasing of the three.

[Rui Lopes]

Very nice shots, Rui. A very idyllic scene. I think the highlights look a little blown in the stream of water in #1 and #2. I personally like the slow-motion water effect, and I do a lot myself. But one of the problems I find is there's always an area of water that is blown out, normally where the concentration of water is greatest. I find, by reducing the exposure selectively using the adjustment brush at the RAW stage on the area in question, lessens the blow-out in Photoshop. This has the advantage of not altering the exposure in the rest of the shot. Here's one of mine, before adjustment and after. The difference between was achieved by just using the RAW adjustment brush.

Thanks for your comment and suggestion. Actually, your image to the right presents a better overall exposure and no blow-out parts at all!
Now, I believe that the reason that lead some spots of my pictures to be a bit blown out resides on the tools I use to do my pp. I use Capture NX to do RAW adjustments.. NX has got a checking box where one can check whether and where any part of the image is under or overexposed. When you check that box, the image disappears but blacks and blown-out spots are still visible (painted in white).
In these images, NX didn´t warn me about that and therefore I assumed that everything was OK. However, now I am tempted to check it again later at home.
Again, many thanks!

[Rui Lopes]

Thanks, Donald.
#1 is also my favorite!
Regards.

[Colin Southern]

Sorry for the watermarks but some of my photos have been stolen again and I am not willing to take any further risks...

It's happened to me too. By my way of thinking though, (a) does it take any money out of our pockets when it happens? and (b) Watermarks are easily removed in Photoshop, so it doesn't stop them being stolen, and (c) personally, I don't see the logic in ruining an image 100% of the time to try and prevent an occasional theft.