Nature trail walk

This trail runs beside the Guadalupe River which is down stream from the lake and the dam. So it is controlled by the Corp of Engineers and hence, it is never the same. Which I so look forward to when I go there. I’ve post a series of three images


This was a very shallow portion at the beginning of the river. The green colors are various layers of types of algae, I’m guessing. Love the lines.
f/9, 1/4sec., iso 100, @72mm, handheld. Cropped 16:9, brightness/contrast and photo filter.

river-DSC_5914-1
This portion was a bit further down. The water was so crystal clear at this point.
f/20, 1/2 sec., iso 100 @58mm, handheld. Adj. layers; shadows/hightlights, hue saturation - to lower saturation and smart Orton effect.

rocks-water-DSC_5922-1
Finally came to where the water was picking up speed and started to flowing over the rocks.
f/36, 1/2sec., iso 100, @98mm, handheld. Cropped to 20x11. Adj. brightness/contrast.

What I enjoy about this series is, at least for the first two, the abstract quality. For me they are more about the feeling of the water and the day. How do they strike you? Is there an image that is more appealing than the others? Why? Other thoughts and comments are most welcome.
Thank you.

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Really love all these images, Linda! Well seen and captured! I think my favorite is the top one. I love the different shades of green and the abstract look of it. Beautiful!

While I am not a fan of the Army Corps of Engineers, I am really drawn to the first image for its amazing abstract qualities. The color and lines make it a most successful intimate landscape. I tried cropping some of the yellow from the bottom to see if the greens and blue pop even more, but have mixed reactions on the result. Perhaps it works well as is and with the crop. You decide. All of the images show your skill at seeing which is what photography is about.

A very nice series. I like best the first one with its different shades of green and abstract nature.

Linda, I like the first one the best because it’s so calm and peaceful looking. The lines of color are very good and the colors are nicely inviting. I think some gentle burning in of the brighter bits in the bottom 1/4 would balance the eye movement throughout the frame. The 16:9 crop fits the horizontal “lines” well.

The upper half of #2 also has a peaceful, inviting feeling, with the white water at the bottom being a significant change-of-pace visually. The brighter reflections and the ripple structures in the non-white areas are a good addition. Keeping or deleting the white water depends on what you want the viewer to see/think/feel.

The slow shutter smoothing of the rushing water in #3 looks god, but I’m finding the angled meeting of the green water and the rocks jarring. An alternate view where you don’t see the top edge of the green, only the angled rapids might be interesting.

Looks like a fun photo stroll.

The first one is a beautiful abstract with a strong Impressionist look. I really like it a lot.

Thanks, @Vanessa_Hill, @Larry_Greenbaum, @Ola_Jovall, @Mark_Seaver and @Harley_Goldman for taking the time to give me your input on this series of images. I do agree with all of you, that the first photo is my favorite preciously because of the abstract quality. Also, @Mark_Seaver, I did go back and cropped #2 and #3 creating a more pano crop and eliminating the distracting upper and lower portions. For me at least, this has created a nice soft water series. Thanks again.

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Linda, this is an excellent series, I like the variety of scenes to illustrate what you found on the river. I definitely enjoy the first two for their abstract qualities, the colors and patterns are just wonderful. The first image is my favorite, it has a nice mix of various shades of green colors, and my eye just keeps sweeping across the image. The second image is nice too, I like three distinct layers of color. My only suggestion on this one is that I would pull down the luminosity of the white layer, to allow the other two layers to step forward a bit more. But overall this is a great series, I enjoyed seeing this a lot.

Thanks @Ed_McGuirk for stopping by and commenting. I did go back a reduce the luminosity of the white layer in the second image, the result being much more pleasing as the white isn’t so stark. Thanks again.

Very interesting trio of images, Linda. While all are equally lovely I find myself drawn to the first; with the second close behind; because of it’s abstract quality and the different shades of green. I very much enjoy the second one due to the three bands of different colors which provide some nice layering. I hope you can add some more to your series.