The colors you see in this photograph are a combination of human intervention and natural factors. Acid run-off from old mines in the region are causing the brilliant orange coloration you see in this photograph. While the colors make for a breathtaking photograph, the acid content is harmful to the life in the river, and efforts are underway to clean it up.

While the photograph is eye catching, the composition feels very unbalanced to me. I think it’s heavily weighed to the left. What do you think?

The challenge here was to capture all the details and colors in the photograph. It was easy to overexpose the intense orange colors in the foreground…  so I adjusted the exposure to bring out the details in the rocks. A heavily overcast sky helped me choose a proper exposure, but targeted adjustments in Photoshop were necessary to bring out the details in every part of the image. I used a circular polarizer to reduce the glare in the wet rocks.