Streams of New Zealand.
p.1 #1Streams of New Zealand.
Posting a few stream photos I took in Fiordland, New Zealand. In an earlier post, I had shared versions with different exposures and received some valuable feedback that the water appeared slightly overexposed and had lost detail due to the slower shutter speed, and that the overall tones leaned a bit warm.
For this set, I reprocessed the images using a faster shutter speed to retain more texture in the flowing water, and I’ve intentionally kept the white balance on the cooler side. I’d love to hear your thoughts—do these feel like an improvement to you?
For this set, I reprocessed the images using a faster shutter speed to retain more texture in the flowing water, and I’ve intentionally kept the white balance on the cooler side. I’d love to hear your thoughts—do these feel like an improvement to you?
Jan 09, 2026 at 09:16 PM
p.1 #2Streams of New Zealand.
Beautiful and lively presentation of the valley stream
Jan 10, 2026 at 03:46 AM
p.1 #3Streams of New Zealand.
Hi Roy -- Shutter speed for water is a personal thing and you will get a widely divergent set of opinions! Nailing the detail through correct shutterspeed, exposure and processing can make the longer exposures really sing. Simply going faster isn't always the correct answer, it can make the water texture more disjointed and choppy. Some of these still have some highlights that are on the verge of clipping. I thought your first set had more of a feeling of flow. Working with local adjustments to bring out the micro details and contrast will help you make the best version of the interpretation that speaks to you.
Jan 10, 2026 at 06:36 AM
p.1 #4Streams of New Zealand.
IMHO, technically a great series. I didn't see the previous set so can't comment on that. But I like your control of highlights and enjoy the details and colours in the scenes. I don't see that previous posters highlight on the verge of clipping comment impact the images negatively. I do agree that shutter speed on water is subjective. I myself screwed up recently in very difficult canyon conditions where I had the water exposure way to long. I wished I'd bracketed the water exposures. Sigh. In any case I enjoyed this series and thanks for posting.
Jan 10, 2026 at 01:08 PM