Southbank Waterfall Photo

Photographer’s Note

Hello all,

Today I visited Southbank Parklands after uni, hoping to get some decent shots of the rainforest section. Southbank Parklands were opened in June 1992 after the conclusion of the World Expo 1988, when the grounds were converted into public recreation space. The park is opposite the Brisbane CBD lining the Brisbane River and runs from the Arts Precinct (including the galleries, museum and performing arts complex) towards Kangaroo Point.

Southbank Parkland Facts:

• 9 Million Visitors annually
• Features an artificial beach and adjoining lagoons, with sand sourced from Moreton Bay.
• Direct city access via Goodwill Pedestrian Bridge
• The beach area comprises a lagoon with enough water to fill five Olympic swimming pools, with sand beaches, palm trees, rocky creeks and subtropical trees and exotic plantings. The beach is patrolled seven days a week by lifeguards.
• The lagoon contains chlorinated fresh water that is re-circulated every six hours at up to 125 litres per second.

This photo was taken in the 'Rainforest Precinct' a beautiful patch of tropical gardens with a central stream running through it. The area is inhabited by large Green Tree Frogs, many bird varieties and thousands of Eastern Waterdragon Lizards (I will post a photo of one in the workshop shortly). Many performers from the Lyric Theatre visit this rainforest section to clear their minds before performing. Billy Connolly is known to regularly visit this spot during his performances in Brisbane.

No tripod used, only a rock for steadiness. I experimented with exposure times/apertures and found this combination most effective. Check the map link for a look at the location and the beach.

Despite appearance, NO FLASH was used. The moist leaves are reflecting the filtered light from the canopy above only.

Matt

avishek_khan, krug100, euryan, sevy, daddo, calexica, TopGeo, ChrisJ, danip, skippy007, johnfreeman, chpp, angela926, gunbud, mvdisco, MLINES, ribeiroantonio, lilimih33, robertosalguero, bakes888, JPlumb, Pascale, macondo, jaywalker, InasiaJones, Cricri, tomszat, JCG has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

krug100 (383) 2008-03-04 21:32

Hi Matt,

This one is no more no less then perfect. You’ve got it just right. Colours are especially catching. On a first glance it looks pretty much like renaissance art. It is difficult to imagine you got that beauty almost in the middle of Brisbane. It more likely seems to be a place far away, in a middle of nowhere. I amazed how sharp that shot is despite you not used a tripod. Very well done! Congratulations.

Regards,
Dmitri

avishek_khan (422) 2008-03-04 22:01

Hi Matt,
This is an unusual frame for a waterfall. A part of it only, is visible to the viewer with those fallen leaves scattered and flowing with the stream. The colour and sharpness is extra-ordinary here.
Regards
Avishek

euryan (8345) 2008-03-04 23:17

Ah yes, the good old rock tripod. I've used it many times myself. :-) This is a very lovely detail shot Matthew. Photos like this are hard because they need to have perfect composition and a very interesting subject matter, otherwise they can be boring. This is not boring though. The moving water is captured very well, and the multi colored leaves are very eye catching. I like how saturated the colors are. I think you did very well with this one.
Regards,
Ryan

sevy (12879) 2008-03-05 0:01

Hello Matthew,

Very interesting shot: colors, lightning, blur of movement on the water, composition with the track of the river.
First I was thinking you used a flash to put in evidence the foreground, but finally seems not. I would have liked to have a little more light on the background which is very dark, but here also seems no so easy.
Whatever, at final, a good photo with an original point of view.

Yves.

daddo (11263) 2008-03-05 0:28

Hi Matthew. I don't know how much man had to do with the formation of this place, but in your shot it looks like virgin territory. A world as it once was, Beautiful colours, lovely light and the 1/2 second exposure has done its job admirably. The water does not look like milk but is sufficiently blurred to convey rapid movement. Lovely creation. Regards. Klaudio.

TopGeo (21385) 2008-03-05 0:41

Hi Matt regards! So much clarity and cleanliness? The speed low and the point near in the lens! with a effect in water without the use tripods it impresses! The colours originale and the idea big and simple! captured ideal.
Compliments
TFS
Georgios
Georgios

calexica (1243) 2008-03-05 0:46

Hey Matthew,
A lovely shot with excellent vivid color. Excellent sharpness, superb POV & composition. Congratulations!!! TFS
Greetings,
Natasha

ChrisJ (69464) 2008-03-05 0:50

Hi Matthew

Good motion blur of the water, with excellent sharpness & colour. It almost looks like a Korean Autumn, with the yellow & red leaves. Tfs!

danip (200) 2008-03-05 2:07

Hi Matthew,
Great chromatic effect. I like the fresh water atmosphere you captured in this picture. Congratulations!
Dani

skippy007 (6781) 2008-03-05 2:44

Hi Matt,
Amazing shot, the extraordinary colours of the fallen leaves and sharpness & blurred running water all add up to make this a superb photo.
Regards
Santo

johnfreeman (2220) 2008-03-05 2:58

Hi Matt,
I like your composition with about half the frame devoted to the water and half to the leaves. The colours are superb and half a second looks about right for the flowing water. The sensation of wetness on the leaves is wonderful too (flash?). It really makes you think of virgin rainforest rather than a city park!
I also like the waterdragon lizard very much.
John

PJE (19353) 2008-03-05 4:12

Matt your experiment to play with shutter speed and flash at the same time has paid off very nicely creating a wonderful eye catching frame. I love photos like this and this is simply gorgeous!

Excellent work Matt!

chpp (3928) 2008-03-05 8:01

Hi Matt
beautiful shot, you did find the perfect combination to capture the water with great dynamic and also the vivid colours with perfect exposure. great framing and compo
and great quality image
cheers
c

angela926 (1882) 2008-03-05 15:42

Hello matthew,
Very beautiful shot, I love the warm vivid colors and the light, excellent exposure and nice sharpness, good composition and pov, very lovely presentation.
Angela

gracious (20017) 2008-03-05 16:41

Hello Matt,
Very fine close up of the running water in good use of f6.3 here!
perfect exposure and focus in details from the shot!
the rich and warm colouration adds a big bonus towards a beautiful composition indeed
good job well done
thanks for the notes, man!
Tony

dvlazar (6468) 2008-03-05 20:18

Matt,
Nice use of the motion blur on the water... well handled.
Its funny to think this atmospheric photo was just taken at southbank... looks more like some exotic rainforest in Borneo or something. Good colours and clarity.
Dave

Cormac (26447) 2008-03-05 20:45

Wonderful small scale shot! The wet leaves and rocks have a shine which really helps to define the features and the shapes. Great colour too, which I don't think would have been the case if you had used the flash. Very nice piece of work, especially considering that you didn't use a tripod!

gunbud (27523) 2008-03-05 21:03

Hi Matt,
Wow what a beautifu slow exposure shot of this lovely spot in the forrest. The marco like details are wonderfully sharp and the colors are perfectly brillant.
Regards, Tom

mvdisco (11342) 2008-03-05 21:18

Hi Matt,
Nice composition and very well taken picture with great colors and sharp picture, lovely frame too, congradulations very well done and good work.
Michel

John_F_Kennedy (30581) 2008-03-06 2:05

Outstanding shot of this little waterfall captured. This looks an amazing place. A very good composition.
Best wishes,
Achim

ag1993 (634) 2008-03-06 6:28

Hello,
Nice shot. Great colours and effects. Superb quality and framing.
Regards
Andrea Gatt

ElAprendiz (7370) 2008-03-06 11:24

Hello Mat

One takes very individual, a great contrast, sharpness and brightness.

I like the effect it has achieved on the flow of water, slowing the speed at the time of shooting, and thus achieve an effect opposite to the warm hues available.

John

MLINES (10840) 2008-03-06 12:48

Hi Matt, You are showing creativity here. A well coloured and presented piece of natural setting. Beautiful photography. TFS. Murray.

Signal-Womb (11598) 2008-03-06 13:09

Hi Matthew, good speed on the water and a nice palette of colours on show here. Composition sits well also. Well done..

batalay (20680) 2008-03-06 23:59

Hello Matthew,

It has been a while since I've had a chance to shoot, process and submit within a finite time. Life has been pushing along at a frenetic pace, but it is always enjoyable for me to see some of your recent photos. This is not exception, and indeed somewhat different for you. The slow (1/2 second shutter speed) exposure has created a wondrous image. Here is is 2:50 in the morning the end of a long day. We were on a week mid-semester break from the university, and I was in the deep south to give some talks. By next Monday it will be back to life as usual.

Warm regards, Matthew,

Bulent

[2]

Wandering_Dan (3171) 2008-03-07 8:54

Hi, Matt -

A lovely combination of colors and curves!

Dan

ribeiroantonio (21723) 2008-03-07 14:48

Both photos in this posting are really beautiful. The main photo has a great light which produced excellent colours. The water flowing through the rocks is marvellous and the sense of speed is terrific. The lizard on WS is very sharp and the skin details are really amazing. Well done.
Antonio

crhieatt (5143) 2008-03-07 15:23

Matthew,
..So I see - and this is certainly a very good example.
Exceptionally detailed, unusual but fascinating compostion from very little. Right up my street, so to speak!

As you will no doubt have noticed via your "no flash" comment, there are all sorts of strange tricks of light to enjoy when using longer exposures and subjects of different contrast.

Best regards
Colin

lilimih33 (9870) 2008-03-07 16:37

Hello Matthew!
What a great colours and an excellent water effect!
Perfect detail and clarity and wonderful perspective!
Best regards!
Lili

westozman (2863) 2008-03-07 19:23

G'day Matt!

Your best shot yet, IMHO: methinks the apprentice is fast becoming a Master! As I've said before, I'm looking forward to seeing you express and prove yourself with a top DSLR (my D80 gear is for sale!!) - you've got all the right skills and enthusiasm to really excel in photography, my friend.

Best wishes,
Jeff

robertosalguero (2759) 2008-03-07 23:06

Hello Matt,

Is always interesting to see little details of natural places. This little stream runs gracefully amid the many colourful leaves. The composition and cropping is very effective to give us a beautiful combination of elements and colours. Good exposure and sharpness. Excellent image considering you didn't use a tripod. Thanks Matt.

Roberto

bakes888 (18055) 2008-03-08 20:57

Hi Matt. I’ve tried shots like this and came away empty handed. Nice work. I love the colours of the leaves and the texture of the water. This is definitely incentive get back out there and try again. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

JPlumb (3153) 2008-03-09 19:32

Very nice work Matthew. Sometimes the smaller photos are the most challenging, yet can provide the most in terms of detail and colour. A shot like this takes planning and a true knowledge of your art and the equipment at your disposal This is an excellent composition, with the twisting paths of the water through the brightly coloured leaves. The colour of those leaves is excellent, with very excellent sharp clarity throughout. I like the effect you have with the water, sure you could have made it a little faster or slower for different effects, but here you see good flow, with enough speed to display the air in turbulence. For this composition, I think this was probably your best speed and an excellent choice. Enjoyed!

Thanks, John

Pascale (10066) 2008-03-10 10:18

Hello Matt,
Very good framing and wonderful colours..! Very nice composition here..!I like it
Best regards,

macondo (12967) 2008-03-11 4:59

Hi Matthew.
Very nicely framed and cropped shot, this one. I like the colours, they're amazing. The composition is very pleasing indeed. I know what you mean about the flash, the moisture is making everything gleam as if there were another light source. I'm not a great fan of the milky water effect, I must say, but you've done a good job of it with your long exposure, and the contrast with the sharp details of the stones, leaves and twigs is very effective. At least with digital you can try lots of different shutter speeds to get the shot you want!
Regards,
Andrew

jaywalker (12186) 2008-03-11 16:05

Hi Matthew, A beautiful close up & a brilliantly crafted shot, your light management is excellent &, wonderful use of a slow shutter, superb texture &, great colour, TFS, kind regards Wilson.

InasiaJones (19741) 2008-03-12 6:14

Hi Matt,

Nice integration of bold autumnal colours and water flow. The display of vivid green, ocre and rust trap between dark brown branches and white water. The resulting contrasts are very eye-catching. Half a second was enough to get the blurry effect, but not with a totally velvety effect and still recognizing bubbles and streams.

You've captured the water where it describes a nice shape and you've placed it well in your composition.

Cheers!

André

Cricri (42773) 2008-03-13 7:04

Hi Matt,
Trés belle image, un bel effet dynamique parfaitement bien capturer et la luminosité et lescouleurs sont magnifique, un joli tableau
have a nice day for you
cricri

stego (22322) 2008-03-19 13:29

Hi Matthew,
Very interesting abstract compo. The light and colours are very well managed and the motion blur on the water produces a great effect.
Regards, José.

Bruno40 (6440) 2008-03-24 6:52

Hi Matthew
I love this kind of slow shutter photography. I am looking forward to trying this technique myself some day when I gte time to go out shooting.
the result of the soft water is great and I like the tight cropping.
well done
Jorge

tomszat (1135) 2008-04-12 17:31

Excellent shot Matt, shutter speed is just perfect, great composition and wonderful colours, well done!
Regards,
Tomasz.

mafegan (3949) 2009-09-18 8:51

Hello Matthew
An excellent close-up photo of a familiar location - showing you don't have to venture far nor look for exotic landmarks to create interesting photos. There is much to be photographed in our own 'backyard'. The slow shutter speed has worked well and the leaves may be dying but their colours are alive. Tfs, Marlene

JCG (24791) 2009-09-30 1:36

Hello Matthew,

Very artistic in framing and a marvellous quality of image as well in the colors as in the management of the lights. The dynamism effect of water is appreciable. Photograph resting and pleasant to look at. Thank you for the photo bonus the focus on the head for the lizard is superb. Very beautiful photographs, cheer and thank you Matthew.

With all my friendships and with soon,

Jean-Charles