BFS Loc: Queen City, MO

One of my latest photos.

Trying to bring more than a snapshot to the table. ???????

(Download)

Szalajj Loc: Salem, NH

I hope you will take my comments as a learning experience.

You have attempted to be creative with the angle you chose to shoot from, and I compliment you for the effort.

But the camera settings have created a very narrow depth of field.

This appears to be a low light situation, so you likely opened up your f-stop all the way to try to take advantage of the available light on your subject.

A faster shutter speed would have rendered a crisper water shot. A narrower f-stop starting at around 8 and going higher would increase the depth of field adding to more of the shot being in focus.

With the available light in this setting, you would need to increase the ISO setting, but some cameras will throw way too much grain or noise into a shot but jacking up the ISO too high.

You don't mention what equipment and settings weee used to capture this shot.

Sometimes using a flash will work to your advantage. By setting the flash at about 45°, you can shed some light on the surrounding background without blowing out the highlights in the flowing water.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Nice shot

rmm0605 Loc: Atlanta GA

I think if you cut off the bottom third of the photo, you'd have a gem. The out-of-focus area distracts.

BFS Loc: Queen City, MO

Thank you Szalajj for your comments, this is the very reason I posted this is to learn. The darkness is not the exposure of the shot but rather editing. My trying to set mood.

Here is the photo in Raw straight from the camera with settings.

1/25, f/11, ISO 100, 100mm, Nikon D5300, Tamron 18-270

(Download)

BFS Loc: Queen City, MO

Thank you Rmm0605 for taking time to look and comment. Is something like this what you were thinking.

(Download)

Szalajj Loc: Salem, NH

Thank you for posting the original, and the exif data details.

Were you trying for the cotton candy flowing water effect, or did you want to try to capture the clear crisp water droplets in the air? Your shot and post processing is kind of in between.

The original shot is a bit over exposed.

I would start with increasing get your shutter speed to freeze the water droplets. In this shot, you're shooting over enough distance that the only thing in focus is the actual short warerfall. Your foreground and above the fall are both out of focus.

Then I would increase the f-stop to 16 or 22. This will necessitate increasing your ISO in the process. Start with 200, but you'll likely have to jump past 400 right to 800 at least. Once you get the exposure close, you can bracket the shots at that exposure by one or two stops in each direction.

Sorry, I can't give you the specific directions for brackeying with a Nikon, because I currently shoot with a Canon.

If you shoot using a tripod, and bracket the shot, you can stack the shots in post processing.

There is also a method if getting different parts if the shot in focus and stacking them for an HDR effect, but with rushing water, I don't know that will work.

With the sunlight reflecting off of the water, you want to slightly under expose in this situation, to maintain the details in the "foaming" water.

Otherwise you would need to try shooting with a Neutral Density Filter, and that's a whole new set of skills to learn. You don't want to purchase a cheap version of this filter. And, no, I don't own one myself yet because I don't have a need for one at this point.

In case you haven't already guessed, you're going to have to use "Manual" to get to these settings.

rmm0605 Loc: Atlanta GA

Maybe too tight. You can include enough material to provide context--a natural framing.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

I like sparkling water. Glad you didn't do the silky thing.

BFS Loc: Queen City, MO

Thank you all for commenting and the advice on make things better, much appreciated