Proxy falls

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Taken in Alder Springs, Oregon (See more photos or videos here)

44°11' 51" N, 121°52' 44" W

I missed Iron Man for this. No seriously I did. Kind of an odd thing to say, at least to start off this post, but is true. Anyway, I was supposed to see Iron Man Sunday with my boss and friend, Jake from Blue Moon Camera. I was actually looking forward to it too. I have not been to the movies in a very long time. Just has not been much of quality I have cared to pay the money for. Especially since I can wait a few months and get them for free from the library and watch them at home. ;-) But I had decided to give Iron Man a try, it looked decent at least.

Instead I ended up on a five mile round trip hike through the snow (without snowshoes either) with Manyfires to reach this secluded, but amazing waterfall. It really is an amazing spot too. This photo captures a bit of its beauty but does nothing for imparting its size or grandeur.

Anyway, I took a number of photos of this. Some were digital infrared, a few of which turned out quite interesting and I plan on posting at least one of them in the short term. I also put together a multiple shot Holga panoramic that I have not scanned and assembled just yet. But I liked this shot best at the moment in terms of posting.

Which leads me into what I have promised to write about in terms of editing. Editing is an often over-looked skill when it comes to photography. I would even go as far as to say it is the most important often-overlooked skill. I heard a good quote once that sort of sums up how important editing can be, "A big difference between a professional and an amateur is that you only see the professional's best work". Think about that for a moment. No photography is perfect and snaps contest winners with every shot. We all get bum ones. Some of us more than others. But even if you are at the ratio of one good shot for every 1000 bad ones, if you edit properly you can make your portfolio look as nice, if not better than someone who has even a much higher degree of success but does a poorer job editing.

But see, editing is subjective business. That is what makes it so tricky. We are all tied into our photos on a personal nature, often easily able to over look their flaws or come roaring to their defense when the quality of one of our photos is brought into question. But I get ahead of myself.

The first suggestion I would make for those wishing to get better at this is to have a clear goal. You need to have a goal. You will edit a different selection of images for different purposes. If you are applying for publishing in a landscape magazine, you will send along a different portfolio than you will for contemporary fine art magazine. You will also pull together a different selection of images than you might say post to Flickr. It all comes down to who you wish to speak to and what you want those photos to say. Be clear on this and concise.

My second suggestion is to try and set aside your personal attachments to whatever degree you can. Hard to do, easy to say. Actually, impossible to do completely. Get help. Have friends and family help you cull your images down. I guarantee you will lose images you don't want to, but find ones you had not noticed.

Be concise. This is a case where less is more. At the moment I am sort of sticking with the idea of a porfolio, which generally is well rounded at about a dozen images. A dozen strong images will always speak much better than 40 images, even if they are all strong. It is just too much. It overloads the viewer.

To hop away from the idea of a portfolio and over to Flickr, the same holds true. I have a fairly clear goal for my Flickr stream. Loosely it is maintain variety, to show new perspectives that might help inspire others in their photography. To not just show the "pretty" images but ones that I find stimulating intellectually. Most of the time, this happens to be my successes, sometimes though they are not, not if the image in its failure (in my opinion at least) has something valuable to offer. I see Flickr as an amazing learning tool, and that is how I post to it. I have said before that I have no interest in impressing others on here, I would much rather inspire them. And that is my modus operandi when it comes to selecting what I post. That gives you all a bit of a personal look into how my logic operates in terms of what I select.

But I also try to limit my posts. Usually no more than one a day, often one only every couple of days. This is partly because of my lack of time to post a lot. It also affects how much I am able to browse and comment as well. But I also limit my posts because I want to give every image a chance to be enjoyed, for what it has to offer to be absorbed by those viewing it. If I posted twenty images a day, I would dilute that. I am not saying that posting so many images is always wrong though. I know some very prolific photographers whose goal is to post a million images, literally. Their goals for their Flickr stream then are quite different from mine but equally valid. In the same vein though I know some photographers who just post and post and post. They post whatever they have with little apparent thought to editing down and cutting out similar shots. I tend to miss most of their stuff because I don't want to sift through 38 images looking for the best one. I don't have that much time.

I want to say though too, that this is not required. In the case of Flickr, it is your own personal stream. If you want to not edit images at all, just throw them all up there for everyone to see, there is really nothing wrong with that. That is the beauty of this particular site. You can model your stream however you please.

But I do know some photographers who wish to get better at this, and I know some who don't realize they should. Like I said, the ability to pare one's collection of images down, to condense it to the most meaningful and moving images, to give those images as much concentrated power as possible without diluting them, is really a tricky ability to master... I mean to get good at. I really dislike the word "master". Nobody masters anything, they just falsely believe they do. But that is another rant.

Anyway, I think the ability to do so, to cull and select and edit, is nearly as important as the ability to take a good photo in the first place. Is nearly as important as the ability to effectively and properly post-process. Because how your images are seen, has a bearing on what in your images IS seen. You ken?

Well, not sure how much of help this will be. It is a tough topic to adequately describe, but I have laid out my thoughts, as well as I have them formed. And I don't proclaim to be a master at this either (see the above paragraph on the use of that word). I have practiced at this a while and I have seen other photographers who have been both good and poor at it, and learned through their experience. But it is something that has to have attention paid to it. That has to be consciously taken into consideration. It never hurts to try and ask yourself what purpose a particular photo is going to serve, if it would be better served by being left out or replaced?

Hmm I have to wrap this up now and head off to work. I will think on this a bit more and perhaps add to it later. If anyone else out there has tips or advice, wants to fill in areas I left out, feel free to do so. Share and share alike. :-)

Comments

	shastaortwein says: Thanks Zeb! Amazing shot! I can't wait to go there! And I always look forward to reading what you write. :-) Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	f/1.4 says: Really fine Mr. Andrews...words and image. I like that band of green rocks in the middle where the water is not falling. It forms a nice counterpoint the the watery action on the sides. Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	IGORB81 says: WOW!!! I haven't seen anything better!!! I really love this!!! -- Seen in my contacts' photos. (?) Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	imoongypsy says: I get your point, but sometimes we get excited and want to share(everything) with the world. I see what you mean about similar shots, but we sometimes see the nuances that others don't see. I'm guilty of multiple posts in one day and the dilution factor. Something to think about. Now I need to get back to work. Rats. Dan Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	Myles Smith says: I'm going to start invoicing you for time spent reading your interesting yet long rants! Fantastic image. The texture contrasts and the exposure are wicked.. a mystical journey indeed. I'm off to edit and cull... Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	silverxraven in AZ on vacation says: As usual very well said! Looks like it was worth missing the movie! Myself I'd much rather be outside. Sometimes less is more, my mindset about posting images seems to have changed and feel like posting less than I used to along with removing a bunch of stuff I've posted. You are quite down to earth when it comes to your talent, that is admirable. Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	Josephine... says: I've thought about that. The 'diluting' thing. I don't worry too much about it, but I decided to post two photos a day and give them some time (at least one day). You know...my photos don't have all that power. So, it takes two to do the work. :P The waterfall is amazing. I'd never seen one like this before. -- Seen in my contacts' photos. (?) Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	Blue Mitchell says: I posted this to my blog! bluemitchell.blogspot.com/ Photo editing is always tricky. Thanks for sharing Zeb. Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	zenith9 says: That's beautiful. I love the line of mossy rocks winding down in the middle of the cascades. Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	integrity_of_light says: The water in this photo tastes wonderful. I can hear it, feel it, taste it... Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	Audrey's Dad says: I like the distinct contrast between the soft veiled sides and the sharp, saturated center. Great musings on what makes a strong photograph and portfolio. Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	LiefPhotos.com says: Wonderful shot, but most importantly I am tremendously impressed that you made it to Proxy Falls when the Highway 242 gate was still locked! Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	*Oregongirl says: I love Proxy Falls. I really should visit more often as it's one of the falls closest to Corvallis/Eugene. Gorgeous shot, Zeb, I'm glad you made the trek and that you shared this with us. I'm not in decent enough shape to try stamping through snow, and this photo really makes me feel as if I'm right there. Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	Pater JPM says: Always thought provoking. Simply, this is what makes your photostream stand out for me as I try to analyze and improve my photography. pax / peace Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	agrinberg says: Wonderful photo, and thanks for the essay on editing. Glad someone said it. Not only is "less is more", but "do more with less" helps us be better photographers. Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	DeDaniel says: A real beauty this one! Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	mcmillend says: wonderful feel to this, right in the water. Especially nice with the water on either side of the central green and very interesting perspective, very true in the comments. Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	leapin26 says: This is fantastic. The light and detail is suberb. Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	carolyn_in_oregon says: ga ga ga gorgeous! Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	TimboDon says: Great capture Zeb...well worth missing Iron Man Im sure. Also a great read, its always refreshing to get new ideas. Thanks again Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	Pyles_94 says: great work- the writing, and the picture! Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	Rafael Le Masson says: Really very fine! Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	rasone says: That's some really amazing light here Zeb. As for the post, very interesting words that I can really relate to. Keep up the great work, I'm always interested to see what you will post next, and I love the diversity in your stream. Cheers! Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	manyfires says: God that's beautiful. I'll have to write more later. Okay, it's later. And I am still amazed at this. The detail, the light - I don't even remember this particular part of the falls looking this beautiful, and yet to have you bounce that light through the right camera at the right aperture with the right exposure - it really brings this scene to life. Great job. As far as Greg's comment goes, the extra bit of hiking was my fault... the information I read said that the road was closed 7 miles up, while the trailhead to Proxy was only 6 1/2 miles up. Turns out the road was closed right around four miles... Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	Zeb Andrews says: Greg, I WAS tremendously impressed that we made it. I think the gate was closed about 4 miles up 242 so we had to hike about 2.5 miles up a snowy road, over downed trees just to get to the trailhead. And then follow some very faint snowshoe tracks to find the falls. Quite a nice adventure. Thanks everyone for reading and sharing. Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	the_wolf_brigade says: I too see Flickr as an opportunity to share my learning as well as learning off others. You've definitely been a massive inspiration for me in seeking out new techniques and shots. I try to limit my uploads to 1 or 2 a day, and while I try and maintain variety, sometimes I can't help but share my excitement over finally getting a particular shot right :D As for the photo, the division created by the water is fantastic and your choice of composition really helps to emphasis this. I'm curious as to whether the end of your third last paragraph was a subtle reference to your enjoyment of Terry Prachett's Nac Mac Feegle tales? -- Seen in my contacts' photos. (?) Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	dan_photoman says: I have not yet had the chance to visit this wondrous waterfall, but I'm kind of glad you did this...as opposed to seeing Iron Man. Great composition and exposure time. Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	~~StuArt~~ says: Lovely! Fantastic texture and colour! Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	Cap'n Surly says: Great shot Zeb. I used to have a poster of this waterfall and have always wanted to visit it. Where is it located? It's in Oregon somewhere isn't it? Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	Zeb Andrews says: Thanks David, This waterfall is located just east of the McKenzie Pass (which itself is just west of Sisters) along Hwy 242. You have to approach from the west though during Winter and Spring as the pass is closed, which I why we ended up hiking up a snowy highway to reach the trailhead. The trail itself is not even a mile long to get to the falls. It is well worth the visit. Easily one of the prettiest falls in the state, in my opinion. Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	statnurse says: Fantastic! Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	La Maison du Heron - Très occupée, very busy! says: I believe this is a work of Keep up the inspiring work It's all about art! Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	arcana photography says: Iron Man will be playing for many months...whereas the wonderful lighting at Proxy Falls is fleeting (and you captured it!). btw, Iron Man was awesome! Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	chaybert says: very nice Zeb....love the break up of shape, light/dark, and movement/no movement...very cool indeed. Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	Lloyd Doppler says: Truly moving! Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	tayirvadai says: Awesome photos!! Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	pdxpixs says: Love the way that the center of this image seems to jump off the page. Thanks for a genuinely interesting photostream and the words of wisdom. Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	Shiratski says: Wow what a view. Thanks for info that comes with this photo :) Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	mionismarion says: Hi, I'm an admin for a group called ONE PHOTO, and we'd love to have this added to the group! Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	~Wickerman~ says: Well worth giving up the pictures for - this is amazing -- Seen on your photo stream. (?) Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	lejki .....away says: Ja, and if you had seen Iron Man, you would not have taken this shot! Thankyou for sharing your views as well as your photos. Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	scott jones photo says: Nice post Zeb. From a gallery curator's perspective I would second your thoughts on editing. I am often presented with work, especially on web sites, from photographers who have not edited down their work into a recognizable body of work and then they ask for a show. This is so hard, because I have no idea what their intention is or they simply overwhelm me with sheer volume of images. I think editing has to be a bit painful as we let go of images that we are attached to for reasons that will never be evident to a viewer. Tough stuff. And very necessary too....... www.ScottJonesPhoto.com Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	sara y tzunky says: really strange but wonderfull Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	realkuhl says: Beatutiful shot, Zeb. I love very much the variety of lightplay in the single shot. Really emotive. Totally agree about self-editing WHAT you share. I take maybe 400 photos in a single outing and if I have 5 to share, I'm blissful. :D Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	rlphotography says: Simply fantastic! I'll leave it at that, well captured & composed. Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )
	flickrgao says: Very well done. I love this image. Posted 2 weeks ago. ( permalink )