Peering Under the Natural Bridge, a photo from Queensland, East

Photographer's Note

First I would like to thank Richard Cridland (rcrick) and his wife, without whose help I wouldnt have this (and several other shots) now. My wife and I were in the Brisbane area for a very short stay, and we met up with Rick. I mentioned that I would like to see the Natural Bridge and a couple of other spots in the area. Not only did Rick and his wife insist on driving us here, and the several other spots, but he loaned me his tripod (which is a necessity for this one).

The Natural Bridge can be found in Natural Bridge National Park near Springbrook, south of Brisbane. It is a rock archway, formed with the flow of a creek, down through the roof of the Basalt Cave before you here. Its a short (20 minute) walk from the car parking area through a great rain forest, so there is a lot to see on the way. We were there through the day, but the literature on the park suggests that there are glow worms that can be seen in the cave after dark. That might be kind of interesting.

You can take pictures from within the cave as well, just ensure you have a good tripod, it is dark.

Some of this from: http://www.queenslandholidays.com.au/things-to-see-and-do/natural-bridge-springbrook-national-park/index.cfm

Workflow:
I follow a generic workflow now as outlined in my Bio.
Details and differences to this are as follows:
This is an HDR shot
6 Shots taken at 32mm, ISO 100, f/11, 15 - 1/2 sec
During HDR conversion, dropped the 15 and ½ sec shots and went with 4 from 8 1 sec.
Exposure range was from +2 to -1.
Following conversion from 32 to 16 bit I followed my normal process
Levels used to lighten masked areas where I wanted to keep less light
Overlay layer with 5-15% opacity white brush used for dodging
Saturation increased incrementally +10 on master, (to match web colour proof colours with shot)
Curves layer deleted
Duplicated background and converted to a screen blend to further lighten interior of cave masked everything else.
Saved at 81% quality for 190K ( There are shots now that I can not post as the memory allowance on TE is not high enough for decent quality. With this kind of detail a 200K limit is just not enough for this size of posting a 300-400K limit would be a nice improvement )

alftrek, wishlist, SteveH, ticoeurs, pablominto, Floydian, daddo, jusninasirun, ktanska, mvdisco, Matthew-Watt, pierrefonds, macondo, skippy007, jhm, crckt, zeca, MLINES, rcrick, jmcl έχουν(ει) επιλέξει αυτή τη σημείωση ως χρήσιμη

Critiques | Translate

BWJ (3094) 2008-06-18 20:12

Hello John,
I can almost feel the cool mist of the falling water. The arch of the bridge, the round rocks in the foreground with diagonal rock on the left side make a perfect composition. Details are superb. I like the golden light on the right.
Warm wishes,
Betty

alftrek (3270) 2008-06-18 20:32

Hi John, the mood here is very well captured, giving viewer the feeling of a cool(if not cold in Brisbane)and secluded pool of water, perfect for a dip on a hot summer day. The waterfall has an excellent smooth silky appearance with great natural spot light from above. Enjoyed viewing.

Alfred

jimkilgallon (0) 2008-06-18 22:25

Hi John
Lovely waterfall, and like the PP techniques you have used to gain your desired effects. Crisp and clean colours, very well composed.
Regards
Jim

wishlist (4133) 2008-06-18 22:41

Hi John and welcome back!
This is a truly good shot to start with! I really like the colours and light here, with the slow shutter silken look of the water which is beautifuk to look at. Details are visible even in the dark area of the cave and this is good to get a good balance. You managed the HDR extremely well and the result is a very natural look (I wouldn't say this was HDR, only reading your note I knew it. Did you use a specific software?). Great job indeed!
Thanks,

Igor

SteveH (8220) 2008-06-18 22:51

Hi John, Never would have guessed that this was HDR, which I suppose makes it a good result. Thanks for the great PP information you have included. I'm somewhat remedial in this area, so tell me, how do you get the six images together? cheers, Steve

bracasha75 (24591) 2008-06-18 23:18

Helo John
Beautiful waterfal and very nice soround
I like this hiden place
Very god work John
Cheers,Braca

ticoeurs (295) 2008-06-19 0:14

Hi John,

What a nice HDR shot.
I really appreciate when the HDR looks like natural, and here it is.
The place is really amazing with this falls under the bridge.
Good composition.

Have a nice day.

Fabrice

pablominto (53746) 2008-06-19 0:26

Hello John,

This is a strange place, and the point of view is well chosen to show its features!
Mysterious...
A well composed presentation with great details!

Greetings,
Pablo -

:-) OK-

Floydian (30970) 2008-06-19 0:37

Hi John,
The idea from this pov is very well choosen, gives something more to it than just a plain waterfall. A bit dark, but that only enhances the contrast with the waterfall. Seeing it's a HDR exposure is also i did not expect. You controlled the dark and bright parts very good, normally we a to bright image that looks fake and plastic, this looks pretty good...well done.
Regards, Henk

mumek (20226) 2008-06-19 2:53

Good morning John!
Very nicely composed scenery from Natural Bridge National Park. Very good quality of the picture, great depth of field, lovely light, sharp details and very ninteresting note.Thanks for sharing
best regards
ziggy

daddo (28748) 2008-06-19 3:23

Hi John. Enchanting place made even more lovely by your choice of POV. There is an element of the mysterious as we peer through the opening at the fall.Beautiful soft light and lovely colours ranging from the glowing yellow to the deep indigo and dark brown. regards. Klaudio.

MarcT (20964) 2008-06-19 3:26

Hi John,
Nice POV with excellent use of the long exposure.
Colours and mood are superb.
BW
Marc

jusninasirun (17529) 2008-06-19 4:34

Hello John. The glow on the left is attracting my attention. The moss and foreground sharpness is beautiful with fresh clear water with the rushing fall making the composition complete. Thanks for sharing and best regards, Jusni

microdas (113) 2008-06-19 4:44

Hi John,
You have turned water into light with the flick of the shutter! The effect is very eye-pleasing! Expecting more such gems from you!
Regards,
Amitabh

ktanska (44492) 2008-06-19 4:49

Hi John,
That sunlit waterfall is wonderful. This gives a feeling of an adventure, going to a difficult to reach places. I have no idea whether that's true though. Looking at the previous pictures from this location, you have clearly the best exposure. HDR works well, and it's not obvious at all.
Kari

sandpiper (6788) 2008-06-19 5:37

Hi John

Isn't HDR fun, another excuse to spend even more time on the computer processing away.
This is a good result though, I've been here years ago and its impossible to get a descent shot from a single exposure, even if its overcast. Good composition and sharpness; great PP.

Chris

Waylim (25436) 2008-06-19 8:07

John,
I guess we owe this one to Rick as well. Absolutely beautiful image. I love the atmosphere captured with the slow shutter speed, the waterfalls so smooth like ray of sunshine through the rock. The texture and details of the natural bridge is also well visible consider it must be fairly dark in there. I love it. Thanks
Way

waminda2020 (413) 2008-06-19 8:29

John, we went there last summer, but my shots weren't this good! well done!!!

mvdisco (17798) 2008-06-19 8:32

Hi John,
Beautiful picture nicely composed and presented with great colors and sharp picture, details are superb and I love the waterfall , great shot..
My compliments
Michel

Matthew-Watt (5934) 2008-06-19 16:59

Hello John,

I am glad you were able to visit the Brisbane region, albeit a brief one! I would have loved to have met you, but it seems you were up during the crux of my exam period, which in turn has forced me off TE for some time. I have visited this place several times; each visit yields spectacular changes in scenery. My grandfather and his battalion were based here at natural bridge for jungle training prior to WWII deployment to PNG. This is perhaps one of the best shots I have seen of this local landmark; the colours are so full and the silky nature of the water is exceptional. It is only recently that swimming in this pool has been banned, for safety reasons, as the rock is said to be unstable. What else where you able to see while in Queensland, look forward to more shots!

Matt

pierrefonds (113656) 2008-06-19 18:15

Hi John,

The capture of the water movement of the fall is an asset to the composition. The light has a good effect on the colors of the cave. The photo is clear and sharp. The subject is well frame. have a nice day.

Pierre

ribeiroantonio (22730) 2008-06-20 3:42

The day I went to Morans Falls in the Lamington NP was so wet that I decided to abandon the plans to visit the Springrook NP and the Natural Bridge. But it is still on my weekend wish list.
The picture is wonderful and the water fall really stands out. You PP work is quite extensive but the result is superb. Congratulations.
Antonio

macondo (20449) 2008-06-20 14:25

Hi John.
Very nice shot in this difficult lighting situation. I can't say I'm a fan of 'soft' blurry water, and in this case it looks more like light spilling through than water, but the compostion is great and the rest of the detail is superbly and naturally rendered as a result of your HDR work. The subtle highlights on the rock bridge are well presented.
Regards,
Andrew

skippy007 (12510) 2008-06-20 22:48

Hi John, When I first looked at this I thought it was a ray of light shinning through, but to my surprise an amazing waterfall, under very difficult light conditions you are able to extract detail in all areas. Love your work E appreciate your detailed information on the subject as well as your PP work.
Thanks
Take care
Santo

jhm (211734) 2008-06-21 0:40

Hello John,

Soft and very pleasant for look it, this is your excellent composition.
You play wonderful with light, also excellent with the through look under the rocks.
High quality and wonderful presentation.

Have a nice weekend,
John.

crckt (7222) 2008-06-22 8:23

Hi John,
Good to see you back and posting again. What a great shot this is! I like the effect of the slow shutter, the atmosphere looks magical.
TFS.
Regards,
Shaeri
PS thanks to Rick and his wife too :)

zeca (19762) 2008-06-22 19:31

Hi John!
Its a beautiful place to visit. I like to trek around places like this and this photo is a prize! The exposition is very nice and the perspective of view is very well choosen.
Regards,
Zeca

MLINES (12516) 2008-06-23 23:12

Hi John, A tripod has helped this and the whole scene looks so good. The effect of the curtain of water/light gives it a lot of impact. TFS. Murray.

rcrick (346) 2008-06-24 1:57

Hi John,

There's not a lot I can say apart from it was an absolute pleasure meeting you and your lovely wife, and to spend some time together seeing some of the sites in Brisbane and the surrounding areas, hopefully we can catch up in Sydney in the near future.

As for this posting it is just a superb shot its that simple, I've seen the way you work and the effort you put in to your work, the splash of light on the right, the detail in the cave, the motion of the water, everything is just so well balanced, and that can only be achieved by someone who is not only one with the camera, but more importantly one with his surroundings, an excellent job, all the best,

Cheers Rick :)

testmaniac (13508) 2008-06-24 8:01

Hi John, great photo.. very difficult photo with excellent exposure,lights and colors. Good composition and cool place! Excellent photo job and photo quality!

TFS and regards!

Phil

pboehringer (770) 2008-06-30 15:55

John,
you're absolutely right about this one here. It wouldn't work without a tripod. No way! The falling water with the silky texture in the pond is a classic that almost everyone else dominates quite well. Nothing new here. Still, you got somoething very spetacular and very different ... the light! This light - not quite sure where it is coming from - hitting the right portion of the image and the branch in the midleft portion are simply glorious.
Peter

jmcl (14535) 2008-07-13 16:41

Hi John,

Hope you and yours are well .. tough .. tough ... tough exposure .. tremendously and wonderfully executed .. great HDR work.

take care,

John

brano14 (3454) 2008-11-16 19:37

So dark ,but so colorful,I hope that explains my opinion. Of course you gave us so detailed explanation what to do.
Anyway, it looks great!
Brano

Photo Information

Copyright: John Plumb (JPlumb) (3159)
Genre: Τοποθεσίες
Medium: Έγχρωμο
Date Taken: 2008-06-14
Categories: Φύση
Camera: Nikon D200, AF-S NIKKOR 17-55mm 1:2.8 G ED
Έκθεση: f/11
Details: Tripod: Yes
Map: view
Έκδοση φωτογραφίας: Πρωτότυπη έκδοση
Θέμα(τα): Waterfalls [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-06-18 20:01
Αγαπημένα: 1 [view]

Viewed: 3252

Points: 66

Discussions

To BWJ: Golden Light on the Right (1)
by JPlumb, last updated 2008-06-19 01:16
To wishlist: Photoshop CS2 (1)
by JPlumb, last updated 2008-06-19 01:32
To SteveH: 6 Images (3)
by JPlumb, last updated 2008-06-19 02:23
To Matthew-Watt: Wish I had More Time (1)
by JPlumb, last updated 2008-06-20 01:25
To macondo: Soft Burry Water (1)
by JPlumb, last updated 2008-06-23 12:11
To skippy007: Water was a Carrier of the Light (1)
by JPlumb, last updated 2008-06-23 12:13

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::: Peering Under the Natural Bridge by JPlumb (3159)

Photographer's Note

Critiques | Translate

Photo Information

Discussions

Additional Photos by John Plumb (JPlumb) (3159)

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