Mill Flume Smokey Mountains

This is another shot from my recent trip to the Smokey Mountains to do some fall color shooting. This one is of a water flume feeding a small mill. There was a black top road running through the shot about 2/3 the way up on the right side. That was a distraction in the composition and has been cloned out and replaced with a bed of leaves. EXIF Data: D90, 18-105mm Nikkor, Focal Length 18mm, f/13, Shutter Speed 1.0 sec., Auto WB, Aperture Priority, Focus Distance 14 ft., Adobe RGB, Photomatix HDR plug in with Aperture 3 post processing.

Did you use a ND filter?

Nice shot, Joseph. Nice cloning job, too.

Roguebear, I did use a ND filter in a way. I used a CPL filter which is in effect a 1.5 ND. I was however looking for the CPL effect on the colors rather than the ND effect. The shot was taken in deep shade so a ND was not necessary.

Jack, thanks for the nice comment.

Yeah nice picture. I am always a sucker for moving water.. Did you clone that out in PS or Capture, either way looks natural good stuff.

All the post processing was done in Aperture 3 including the cloning. Thanks for the comments. It's appreciated.

Wow! I am stuck being the bad guy here.Usually, I love your work, but this time Joe, you showed that you were in a hurry.
The bed of leaves is obviously cloned in simply because of the straight line patterns running across the covered roadbed.
I have come to expect FAR better from you. I consider you to be a friend and as such, I hope that you take no offense.
But I would prefer you NEVER lower your standards.

Hopefully still your friend,

Pete

Still a friend Pete. Honest opinions are welcomed.

OK, Pete I revised the cloning on the black top road. I enlarged the area some 200% to do it in detail. There are no more straight lines as seen in the first version. This should be an improvement.

That is so much more like it. I know that I am a picky bast**d. But dammit, you are a fantastic photographer. Too good to settle for anything less than the best.

Pete

Pete, picky is just fine. That is what the critique forum is for. Thanks for pointing out the flaw.

PS: I gave you a + for being the "bad guy".