Bickford Slides

[NeoAkela]

Took a nice loop hike in Evans Notch over Blueberry Ridge and Speckled Mountain. I was amazed at the waterfalls of Bicknell Slides - some of the most beautiful moss-covered cascades I have seen in all my years of hiking.

Took hundreds of shots, experimenting with exposure and having a challenging time (I had forgotten to bring a tripod or any filters!)

Both shots were taken at a half second exposure, balanced on a rock or log with two-second shutter delay, and with an extremely low ISO and the aperture set at it's narrowest, which helped to compensate for the lack of ND filters.

 

[w7xman]

Both shots are beautiful.

The shutter speed and the dynamic range in the first, combined with an intriguing path of water to follow really makes it pop.

The second is well laid out, with the person in perfect position, the waterfall at in a nice point in the frame, and taken under good light.

If I can suggest anything, it would be to always watch the edges of your frame. Most times, having slight intrusions of adjacent objects is not ideal. And this is tough to do...as most view finders cover ~95% of the final framed area, so your shot is slightly bigger than what you see in the finder.

In both shots I see some things on the edges that could be better incorporated or could be framed out. The bits of rock on the bottom and left edges, and the slight inclusion of the branch on the right in the big slide. Minor nits, but worth mentioning. Hardly take away from these great shots...

 

[Mark Schaefer]

I agree both pictures are excellent with very beautiful, colorful, lush foliage. You did an excellent job capturing the images without a tripod.

I also agree that some attention is needed on the edges of the photos. The photo on the left would improve if you included more below and on the left of the frame. I believe both of those rocks are needed to frame the image, but we need to see more of each so that their inclusion does not appear accidental in the frame.

You might also want to try some faster shutter speeds. I personally like these slow shutter speeds. However, the detail in the brighter areas of the falls is getting lost in the blur. It is always good to shoot a variety of shutter speeds so you have multiple images from which to choose.

Another nit: The photo on the right has a bare spot between the man and the waterfall which detracts slightly from the image. If you moved to the left and got a bit lower, then the man might cover that bare spot in the camera's view. It was also likely eliminate that branch on the right. I realize that your options might have been limited given the lack of a tripod.

None the less, both are very pleasing images.