Bowen Falls

[Octane]

This photograph was made at Milford Sound. The subject in question is Bowen Falls, bathed in golden afternoon light.

Bowen Falls are one of the first waterfalls one sees when entering Milford Sound. It is a 161 metre drop from top to bottom, which makes it the tallest constantly flowing fall in the fiord.

This image required careful processing to balance out all the elements in the landscape.

I hope you enjoy this image as much as I enjoyed processing it.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
1/250s f/8.0 at 80.0mm iso200

Slightly higher resolution available here (http://users.tpg.com.au/octane2/bf.html).

Comments, and critique, etc., are most welcome, as always.

Regards,
Humayun

[StephenM]

Very nice Humayun. That afternoon light works nicely! Unfortunately my shot of these falls (10 years ago!) was taken mid-morning in winter, and from memory the falls were in shadow.

Cheers,
Stephen

[lacad01]

Another beaut shot :thumbsup:

[Dennis]

Hello, Humayun

Wow – a lovely shot. The larger version really improves the viewing experience a lot, the smaller image kind of restricts its majesty.

Were you able to experiment with slower shutter speeds to blur the falls more? A wild animal drinking in the pool at the base of the falls would have been a wonderful addition to convey the scale of these 161m falls.

Cheers

Dennis

[Octane]

Thanks, guys.

Dennis, for even more clarity, try this:

http://users.tpg.com.au/octane2/bf2.html

Regards,
Humayun

[Dennis]

Wow – now that one really smacks you in the face! I’m viewing it on a 1600x1200 (uncalibrated) monitor and the detail is quite extraordinary. The texture in the curtains of water is quite beautiful, especially the gossamer like cascade in the central, lower third of the falls. I would not have expected this amount of “flow” shooting at 1/250 sec; there is power in them thar falls!

The gully on the right is nicely revealed too – a tough job as I suspect it would have been in deep shadow?

At this scale, I can also better appreciate the smooth tones and fine detail in the trees and the mosses that decorate the sides of the falls; the moss and lichen looks almost luminous in places, as it would if you were there in person.

Tracing the rocky outcrops, slabs and buttresses is particularly good fun for me due to my rock climbing background, so it was quite enjoyable being able to see the texture, structure and nice hues in the different layers.

Then, to cap it all off, you’ve managed to avoid the blown out white wash at the bottom of the falls, as I can see nice detail in the rocks and pool all the way to the base of the falls.

I can certainly appreciate your comment: “This image required careful processing to balance out all the elements in the landscape”. :thumbsup:

This photo comes a close second to actually being there in the atmosphere it invokes in the viewer. Top work H – thanks for sharing this wonderful scene and the :)experience you had.

Cheers

Dennis

[Lumen Miner]

That image makes me feel sick. Like the feeling you get when you look over a massive edge and you are afraid of heights. My stomach is a woozy now. great job!! The depth to the photo is amazing, really sucks you in.

Foreground holds its own aswell, you have framed it just right. The thirds rule pays off 10 fold here, as that sweeping drop off to the left of the falls is just divine. The caves to the right of the falls, make you want to know more / what's in there.

Well done mate!! Superb work once again! :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:
:bowdown:

[Lumen Miner]

LoL, that's what I was thinking whilst veiwing... It would be a slippery but fantastic climb!

[Octane]

Hi Dennis,

Thanks for the kind words -- I really appreciated your critique and interpretation of the composition.

I am so happy that you've picked on the luminous quality of the moss as that is precisely what I was aiming to bring out.

I so wish there was something in the image now to give a sense of scale. It hardly looks like 161 metres. :)

I am going to upload a larger version of Remarkable Twilight for you to have a look at, too.

Thanks, mate!



Mitchell,

I was initially going to throw this one out, but, when I looked again and noticed that it could actually frame quite well (I mean, I would have framed it this way at the time of capturing it, so, I knew somewhere in the back of my head that it would turn out!) I kept it.

Thanks, mate. Appreciate the kind words.



Thanks, again, for looking and commenting. :)

Regards,
Humayun