First print. Any advice appreciated.

The scan is quite a bit darker than the print. I tried to print so that the shadow retains some detail. There are a couple of areas that need work. On the left hand side is a small bright circle that's actually a coke can, so I'll get rid of that.

Any suggestions, advice would be much appreciated as this is my first work print. I'm a little too close to the image as I've sat with a machine print of it for about a year, so impartial advice is needed.

Lee, you really like setting yourself a challenge! I would try holding back a little in the bottom half to get all the details out of the shadows, and burn in the top half. I don't see why you can't get this printed onto a grade 2 or 3 paper?

By the way, have you tried a crop, just above the top of the bridge?

Thanks Mark. I'm going to try to scan this again as there is some detail in the dark areas at the bottom. The real problem I have is the top third as the contrast difference is really significant. I did try the print at a 3 1/2 and may try it again tonight with some burning in of the top.
Why start with an easy one.

Hi Lee

I'm impressed, your first print, surely not! I happen to like the contrast that you have arrived at, but I am a bit guilty of creating a heavy print myself.

May I suggest first a crop. about 1cm off the right hand side of the print, just to the left of the tree, which brings the waterfall on to a third and makes the composition more pleasing to the eye (imo)

Then a slight burn @ '0' in the topright corner,nothing too heavy, and also to the waterfall.

Then a little dodge in your shadows in the bottom left corner, above the water line.

All the time remembering that it is your print and you may like the water or the framing of the print just the way it is.

Look forward to seeing the final print.

Regards

Stoo

Thanks Stoo. On the crop do you mean to the left of the black blob in the in the top right. There's a curved stone in the middle of the waterfall wall, do you suggest a crop just to the right of that (rhs when looking at photo)?
It is my first print and it's taken 3 sessions and about 30 sheets of paper to get to this stage and enough bad language to make "Shameless" look tame.

Just tried that crop Stoo (on the rubbish scan) , and it looks a lot more focussed. With the crop it brings the whole image back to a square (which somehow I prefer) and accentuates the water running from right to left rather than centre to left.

Spot on Lee

Just to the right of that curved stone. And you took the words right out of my mouth regarding the flow of the water. My eye then go's from the bottom of the fall through to the bottom left of the print. A nice flow.

Your use of paper will go down, trust me. And you have started with a good attitude. If you don't like it, bin it! Its a nice spot and a print worth doing.

Best of luck

Stoo

The other thing I'm now looking at is cropping the top just below that tree stump in the very top left corner. It still retains the backlighting in the top right but doesn't distract as much. Every time I now look at it the top left corner distracts me.

By the time I've finished cropping there'll just be the rock at the bottom!

Yep,true. it is a bit distracting, but only now you have pointed it out to me.

As shown, WELL done. Don't touch it.