Oirase photos - Photography Expedition Part 3

Making picture and taking picture are two different thing; I didn't go to Oirase to take picture, but to make picture. You'll see what I mean by 'making picture' if you know what is going on in my mind when considering a shot. Here we go...

To photography waterfall or stream with many trees, the use of polarizing filter (known as PL filter in the world of photography) is a must. It will brings out the true color of all the objects (like tree, foliage, stone, etc) as well as cuts off the reflection of the water and allow you to see through it. As some of the light is filtered out, the amount of light gets to the sensor is reduced, usually by as much as 2-stop. This allow the use of longer shutter speed, which makes the water looks like in motion.
In any landscape photography, we usually like a greater depth of field (DOF). DOF means the depth in which as you look into the field of your photograph, things are in focus.
To illustrate, see the photo below where the depth of field in which things are in focus is very narrow - Only the mushroom is in focus, anything in front and behind is off. In landscape photography however, we want things to be in focus from the foreground extending to the infinity (if possible).

Greater DOF is accomplished with the used of larger f-stop setting. However, there is limit imposed in each lens where going beyond the setting will cause diffraction problem. In my case of using the Canon ES 16-35mm f2.8L lens, f8 seems best.

By knowing the optimum setting of my lens, I fixed my aperture opening to f8, the shutter speed is then adjusted accordingly; in the woods where sunlight is block by canopy, you need a very long shutter speed for f8, usually in between 1/2 and 4 sec - long enough to make the water looks in motion. Also, for that kind of long shutter speed, the use of tripod is a must!
In digital photography, you need to record your photo in raw format and do some post-processing work for obtaining best result. That is what I did as 'best result' is what I'm after, as a person who 'make picture' instead of taking picture.
If you do the same (shoot in raw), I suggest you go over exposure a little and later decide if you need to bring it back (to normal). I found that most of my picture looks better if I over exposed them a little - they look brighter and flasher.
The above picture is a composed of three shots (using CS3). There is no other way because the dynamic range of the scene is too wide.
See (below), if I expose for the water, the surrounding is too dark, and if expose to the surrounding, the water is over expose.
Beside water and woods, there are also spider: