Sonoma Coast and Waterfall (+1)

[Kyle Jones]

I know it's Wednesday and there's a waterfall here, but I'm starting a thread anyway...

This is a small waterfall on the Sonoma Coast in Northern California, located in Salt Point State Park. It has become somewhat iconic and while I've visited it before I'd never shot it. It is normally shot at sunset, sometimes with the sun in the frame, but it looked like there would be a really nice sunrise yesterday and I decided to give that a try. I expected the sunrise light to be a little softer with a dynamic range easier to control than sunset and that worked out. A beautiful sunrise appeared behind me, eventually filling the sky with pink.

So here are a few shots from the last sunrise of 2019. As always, any thoughts are welcome.

1) This is the first one I processed and the most complex. I blended some different shutter speeds to show some water motion in the foreground while freezing the action a little bit more in the background. I used a darker exposure for the sky as well.

2) Bringing the waterfall into the frame at the expense of some of the water in the ocean.

3) A portrait view emphasizing the waterfall and light above it.

4) Another composition similar to (1) but with some more space around the fall

 

[AlanLichty]

Neat set of falls and some sweet sunrise colors for the scene. I like what you did with the first image. The combination of shutter speeds for the water action gave some really tasty results. While I like the kind of water action depicted just below the falls it rarely translates well for full sized waves like those in the upper part of the image. This blending technique mitigated that quite well.

All three shots are quite nice but that first one overshadows the other two for my eyes. Nice work.

 

[Ben Egbert]

What a fantastic way to ring out the old year Kyle. That first shot is just amazing and a real wall hanger. The rest are very nice, but the first overshadows them.

 

[Jameel Hyder]

Stunning set of images. Nicely done and print worthy for sure.

 

[JimFox]

This is super cool Kyle! Waterfalls that fall into the ocean to me are pretty rare and feel like a treasure. I have been up along the Sonoma Coast a few times, though I am not sure I recall this one. It seems like I might be due a trip up the coast soon.

 

[MonikaC]

Beautiful set, Kyle. Number 1 is my favorite, though I'd like a little more space to the right of the waterfall. I guess you would have done a vertical pano to get all of the outflow on the left and have more cliff on the right. You got a great sky -- kudos for going at a different than usual time!

 

[Kyle Jones]

Thanks Monika. The crowding on the right was my concern with that image too. I have other compositions a little wider, and a little more to the right. That's one reason why I shared all three of these, to see if anyone noted the lack of space to the right and below the falls.

I appreciate the thoughts!

Beautiful set, Kyle. Number 1 is my favorite, though I'd like a little more space to the right of the waterfall. I guess you would have done a vertical pano to get all of the outflow on the left and have more cliff on the right. You got a great sky -- kudos for going at a different than usual time!

 

[Bob]

Kyle these are superb. i especially like the third one.

 

[Jim Dockery]

Gorgeous! I'm with Monica - love the first, but want more room to see the whole waterfall like you did in the second. Did you try a pano?

 

[Douglas Sherman]

Great Set, Kyle. I agree that there needs to a bit more space on the right to get the waterfall I/3 of the way in.

 

[Kyle Jones]

I processed another composition that I think does a better job of balancing the fall within the scene. I don't have multiple shutter speeds for this, so I don't get to play with the wave action in the background.

Beautiful set, Kyle. Number 1 is my favorite, though I'd like a little more space to the right of the waterfall. I guess you would have done a vertical pano to get all of the outflow on the left and have more cliff on the right. You got a great sky -- kudos for going at a different than usual time!

Gorgeous! I'm with Monica - love the first, but want more room to see the whole waterfall like you did in the second. Did you try a pano?

Great Set, Kyle. I agree that there needs to a bit more space on the right to get the waterfall I/3 of the way in.

 

[Ben Egbert]

I prefer the first for the wave action and blended water action. To me it trumps the rule of thirds.

 

[procam11]

Beautiful set of images Kyle

 

[Tuan Le]

Nice images Kyle. Hard choice between 1 and 4 but I think 1 for me for the less muddled water action. I like 3 as well for the concentration on the falls and green rocks.

 

[AlanLichty]

I am with Ben on this one - the water blending in the first image is worth breaking the rule of thirds for

 

[Levy Davish]

Wow, The water motion is just great!

 

[Bart Carrig]

Extraordinary. Great comps and captures. Beautiful processing.

Bart

 

[Sunny Sra]

Kyle,
WOW...love this set. the colors, comp...man...looks like a fantastic place to shoot