Bonsai waterfalls

[Ken Rennie]

This is using a processing style close to my low key monochrome waterfall style. Basically you reduce the exposure slider and boost the white slider. This takes the midtones into shadow and stretches the brighter areas out increasing contrast in the mid to brights and thus increasing saturation. with monochrome you can take this to extremes but with colour the saturation can quickly become "radioactive". I also use extreme levels of vignetting. All of the waterfalls are less than 3 ft in height and the sun was not shining in the first 4 images and #5 (my favourite) had weak and watery sunshine through a veil of high cloud. Ken

 

[AlanLichty]

I need to play around with this technique - I really like the results. I like all of these but the last one in particular really stands out with the current swirls below the falls.

 

[Ben Egbert]

Hey Ken, thanks a lot for posting this, I can't wait to try it out.

I doubt I can get to your level simply because my waterfall locations are mostly steep mountain creeks with lots of boulders and snags and nowhere as clean as yours.

Ok if I try one and post it here?

 

[Ken Rennie]

Hey Ken, thanks a lot for posting this, I can't wait to try it out.

I doubt I can get to your level simply because my waterfall locations are mostly steep mountain creeks with lots of boulders and snags and nowhere as clean as yours.

Ok if I try one and post it here?

Of course you can. I am still looking for my processing video. Ken

 

[Ben Egbert]

Ken, thanks a lot for starting this post and for allowing me to share my results. Imitation is the sincerest compliment.

I will show my normal processing and yours. Of course I wish to retain my own signature look as well, which is to obtain structure and definition in the water and rocks. This being a combination of shutter speed and application of some Topaz.

Kens method, IE darker exposure, higher whites, a crop to simplify and a heavy vignette. Note, I always add vignette, but not this heavy.

I must say, I am very pleased with the result, but any comments will be welcome.

Here is my normal processing of the same image.

 

[AlanLichty]

Ken, thanks a lot for starting this post and for allowing me to share my results. Imitation is the sincerest compliment.

I will show my normal processing and yours. Of course I wish to retain my own signature look as well, which is to obtain structure and definition in the water and rocks. This being a combination of shutter speed and application of some Topaz.

Kens method, IE darker exposure, higher whites, a crop to simplify and a heavy vignette. Note, I always add vignette, but not this heavy.

I must say, I am very pleased with the result, but any comments will be welcome.


Here is my normal processing of the same image.

I like what you got via this processing technique Ben. I have some candidates for this I will dig out later to try this as well.

 

[Jameel Hyder]

Nice and unique look to these Ken. Another nod to the last one as my favorite.

 

[Ken Rennie]

Ken, thanks a lot for starting this post and for allowing me to share my results. Imitation is the sincerest compliment.

I will show my normal processing and yours. Of course I wish to retain my own signature look as well, which is to obtain structure and definition in the water and rocks. This being a combination of shutter speed and application of some Topaz.

Kens method, IE darker exposure, higher whites, a crop to simplify and a heavy vignette. Note, I always add vignette, but not this heavy.

I must say, I am very pleased with the result, but any comments will be welcome.

View attachment 40617

Here is my normal processing of the same image.
View attachment 40618

Ben not a criticism just a thought the heavy vignette works best with only a single bright area of interest, this image has 2 main and a minor one in the middle. Also I have never used it with bright shiny (sunlit) rocks. I will need to think about this. Ken

 

[Ben Egbert]

Ken, why not post your version as demonstration. I really like it, and think it will emphasize your point well. Now that I see it, I can't unsee it.

 

[Ken Rennie]

Here is my quick take on Ben's image. I have simplified it by only including 1 of the tiny cascades. I will look at how to modify it with multiple points. Ken

 

[Ben Egbert]

This is super Ken you took it to a whole other level

 

[AlanLichty]

Nice work with Ben’s waterfalls Ken - good argument for small scenes within larger falls for this type of processing.

 

[Ben Egbert]

Ken your advice on excluding what is not required is something that Jeffrey taught me and I was attempting that with this shot. I was as close as I could get and at 105mm which was as long as I had with me. I need to start carrying a longer lens.

 

[Ken Rennie]

Ben all of my images were taken on very small streams with limited waterflow. As I stated at the start, the falls are tiny and of the hundreds of shots taken in these locations I only managed to find 5 that allowed me to successfully apply this technique. I have only ever used this once (successfully), in colour, on a slightly larger stream and in this case it is different as I wanted to include the far hills as it told the viewer more of the story of the stream. The images produced are unlikely to look realistic. Ken

 

[Alisa]

All of these are so beautiful!

 

[Amy Nelson]

Wonderful set of images....I like the comp. on the 3rd and 4th the best.

 

[JimFox]

Hey Ken, I am a bit late to the game here. Of the originals, #1, 3 and 5 are my favorites with #3 being my favorite.

And I am enjoying you and Ben working with your technique on a photo of his. I learned a lot just watching his edit, and then seeing and watching your edit on the same scene.

 

[MonikaC]

Nice set & interesting processing technique. I'll have to try it out. The last one stands out for me with the light on the moss and the simplicity of composition.

 

[Mike Lewis]

Those are jaw-droppingly beautiful, and the technique is fascinating and one I will be trying out soon hopefully! Thanks so much for sharing both the wonderful captures and the techniques used to process them!

ML