Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

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Archive 2012 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

cpoole
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p.1 #1 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

After putting off making a drive down to the Manchester, TN area, the lighting was perfect for shooting waterfalls yesterday and on the spur of a moment, I made the trip. And I was sure glad I did! I had no idea this location would turn out to be so perfect for what I was after. This image is of Machine Falls, which can be accessed after a 1 mile hike off the parking area of the Short Springs Recreation Area. If any of you are in the region and want the coordinates, let me know.

Some of you are far more experienced than myself in image blending techniques, but this is my attempt at a blend of 7 images. This was done in PS-CS6 beta and I used no masking. That is another part I am currently studying and wanting to get into more.

Any C&C would be most welcome.

[NOTE: I just placed all four images together to eliminate the various posts]

2013 © cpoole

Machine Falls - Short Springs Recreation Area

2013 © cpoole

#2 - Hiker's Reward

2013 © cpoole

#3 - Woodland Waterscape

2013 © cpoole

#4 - Nature's Spa

Edited on May 15, 2012 at 07:18 PM · View previous versions

May 13, 2012 at 04:04 PM

Milan Hutera
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p.1 #2 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

What's to critique? It looks great. You mentioned a blend of 7 images - was it a pano blend or blend for dynamic range? The leafs on the left side look a bit dreamy, so I'm thinking pano blend (hence the slight dreaminess caused by wind)... in any case, it looks really good to me.

May 13, 2012 at 04:11 PM

cpoole
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p.1 #3 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

It was a blend to get more dynamic range. This is a single view at 18mm from a Nikon 18-70mm zoom on a D300. All files were RAW and I took a balanced reading across the scene and then added 3 shots above and below in 1EV increments.

The "dreamy" part could very well be from some movement of the foliage across the various frames. The camera was on a tripod and there was no wind, but there was air movement coming off the falls.

As I was framing the final image, I added a 30% opacity blur layer. That is something I do from time to time if I like the overall effect.

May 13, 2012 at 04:18 PM

ben egbert
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p.1 #4 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

Very nice, I really like this and I like the shutter speed as well. You retain detail in the water.

May 13, 2012 at 04:34 PM

cpoole
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p.1 #5 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

Ben - one thing I am enjoying about PS-CS6 is that I can really fine-tune the highlights and avoid losing detail in the scene. So, by adjusting the highlight setting in Camera Raw and then using modest sharpening, I got what I got.

I am especially interested in whatever someone feels is a good tutorial on blending with masking. I have found some info on the internet about this but am wondering if there is a known good source?

May 13, 2012 at 05:26 PM

philtax
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p.1 #6 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

A very soothing image.

Phil

May 13, 2012 at 05:33 PM

cpoole
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p.1 #7 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

Phil - I think some others felt the same way. There were 2 couples of local college kids strategically positioned on blankets in the upper left of the frame. There were caves up there with clean, flat gorund and you can't see them in this photo, but they were there enjoying the "soothing". : )

May 13, 2012 at 05:51 PM

JimFox
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p.1 #8 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

Hey Christopher,

Very cool looking! I would say you definitely found a gem here. I haven't downloaded the CS6 beta, you said you didn't use any masking but took 7 shots. How did you combine the shots then in CS6?

You are making me think I need to fly to Tennessee from California just to go shoot those waterfalls!

Jim

May 13, 2012 at 06:14 PM

cpoole
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p.1 #9 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

Jim - after I make my Camera Raw settings and then click "Done", then with all seven frames selected, I go to the Tools/Photoshop menu item in CS6 Bridge and one of the options is to place all the selected frames into Photoshop as layers. I have learned a little about how to manipulate that part once the frames are in PS, but I cannot assure anyone I fully know what I am doing. Typically, I take the normal exposure and place it first, then the + exposure followed by the - exposures. By highlighting the normal exposure in the layers panel and playing with the opacity setting, I can adjust through a range of tones. That is about as far as I am going with it now.

I want to take these shots and work on some masking and see what I get then. I think that will give me more control over the dynamic range in parts of the scene. : )

Edited on May 13, 2012 at 08:22 PM · View previous versions

May 13, 2012 at 06:33 PM

cpoole
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p.1 #10 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

For anyone who is interested, here is the Google Maps location for this scene. This link leads to the parking spot where the trails begin.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=35.407284,-86.174741%20%281860–2350%20Short%20Springs%20Rd,%20Tullahoma,%20TN%20%2037388-6710,%20United%20States%29

There are four more waterfalls there and I was so caught up in the Machine Falls location that I did not even get to the others yet.

2013 © cpoole

May 13, 2012 at 06:36 PM

aFeinberg
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p.1 #11 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

Oh my that's an awesome falls. Great work!

aF

May 13, 2012 at 08:11 PM

mike717
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p.1 #12 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

Looks like a hike Christopher but the results look worth it completely. Great looking falls and capture.

Mike

May 13, 2012 at 08:51 PM

brunyan
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p.1 #13 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

Since you're from TN I'll assume you speak Kentucky, my native language.
You done real good!
All kidding aside, wonderful photograph!

May 13, 2012 at 09:29 PM

cpoole
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p.1 #14 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

Mike - the hike to the falls was only 1 mile and was tick and poison ivy free. The only issue was this one place where trail actually was in the creek on tops of strategically placed stones and I had to hang onto the bank to keep from falling into the creek with all my gear. Of course, only me (at 63) would talk like that. My 20-something son thought it was great!

And brunyan, yes I speak Kentucky...

... with a Georgia plus Alabama plus Tennessee accent. Ain't it great!

I have one more image to post and I will title it "Good fer what ails ya"

Edited on May 13, 2012 at 09:58 PM · View previous versions

May 13, 2012 at 09:46 PM

gpchase
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p.1 #15 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

Presentation is great..photo is awesome !!

May 13, 2012 at 09:49 PM

stanparker
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p.1 #16 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

Beautiful image and great looking falls. I've shot many TN waterfalls, nearly all northeast of I-24. I may have to put this area on my list.

May 13, 2012 at 11:48 PM

CarlG
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p.1 #17 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

This is gorgeous!! I need to find this one day....

May 14, 2012 at 01:30 AM

cpoole
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p.1 #18 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

stanparker wrote:
Beautiful image and great looking falls. I've shot many TN waterfalls, nearly all northeast of I-24. I may have to put this area on my list.

Stan - same with me. That is why I was both surprised and delighted to find that this one was on my doorstep. Look up Short Springs Recreation Area on Google Images and you will see samples of the other waterfalls in this area.

May 14, 2012 at 03:36 AM

Doug C
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p.1 #19 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

Great looking images (all of 'em, you've posted today...thanks for the mao, also!)

I get down to Tn most years during the Fall. I've always meant to get over to the old mill, down near Winchester I believe it is. Looks like I should devote a day to the area and check out this place, too!

Them thar falls are purdy

May 14, 2012 at 07:59 AM

Tim Ashton
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p.1 #20 · Found a gem of a location in Tennessee yesterday

18-70 might be the best kit lens ever and you certainly know how to use it
Great capture, great pic

Tim

May 14, 2012 at 09:11 AM

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