So... I'm going through a lot of problems in my life right now, and have a lot of stress.  Out of all the madness, doing art again has kept me from completely losing my mind.  The full story would be incredibly long and is pretty intensely personal so... there's that.  Long story short, this image came to mind in which I could put my sadness, and pain and try to help me deal with it.  Needless to say, I'm not so happy with the image.  It's too clean and clinical and has some problems I've not been able to solve yet, especially with my computer limping along.

So, what I need is just some ideas on how to correct a few problems that I want to deal with:

1. The waterfalls have steps inbetween them, I can't get them to show up as distinct steps for love or money with textures.  Currently they're simple rings of increasing size.  They lack all contrast and short of starting to throw crap on them... I'm just stuck.  I could always look at deleting them and starting something more ornate, but I don't know if I should go terrain or making "complex" primative steps.

2. Water.  This scene certainly isn't wet enough.  I wanted originally to have water running down the pearls and pouring from the fist, but not sure how I could do that without causing my computer to have an obstructed hernia.  Maybe spray coming out from between the clenched fingers, but not sure how to make that look real.

3. Textures.  I'm so angry I can't get a decent stone texture to work at close range or at a distance that carries any emotion to it.  You know what I mean?  To give an idea of scale, the waterfall blocks are 200bu high, the steps (if you could see them are 25bu high, the helix are 15bu diameter spheres.  Maybe I'm just being to picky.  I can't find any pictures to fit on these mats as well. 

Anyway, this isn't transmitting the feeling of sorrow that I wanted in it.  I want the scenery to cry, not the man, if you get my drift.  To reflect the emotion inside.  I guess I just need an outside eye to see it and give ideas.  Maybe it will spark something.
Thanks for looking, and be as critical as you want.  Mind you my poser skill is not so hot.

For the steps, add a slight lip at the top of each tread, this will add a visual break due to the shadow it casts. It will also add a small amount of visual complexity.
In terms of composition, I have two thoughts, one - move the figure off center a bit more (say, to the right) and lower the camera to almost the floor and aim a bit more up past the figure. The second is to raise the camera up above the figure a ways and look down at the upraised pose.
For the waterfall textures, try elongating the vertical component of the mat to give more a sense of the flow.
Just some ideas I had, hope they help - you have a really good idea here IMHO.

Pass no temptation lightly by, for one never knows when it may pass again!

Sorry to hear of your troubles. I too have been going through some intense stuff and I sympathize with you. My 2 cents on the scene, the scene as it is now is too lively…too much light. Perhaps you should sadden the atmosphere by giving it a moody darkness. Perhaps also a single beam of light bathing the figure and smaller lights, maybe colored, strategically placed to illuminate on the falls.

Quest

Couple of wise artists!!(grin)

Each test in life only reminds me I'm not finished learning or teaching. Chin Up!!

I agree with both comments, sometimes less is more. Subtle details can sometimes portray more through imagination.
Before you continue, please check this gallery. Doug has some of the best emotive content I've seen.
http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/browse.php?user_id=545385

My input:
Cut back the lighting to accent the scene. Maybe even a directional cone light with soft edge.
If Bryce is running slow, it may be because there are so many reflections being rendered.
You might try changing the material on the spheres, run the render, save the file as one name, then save it as another.....Now try changing the material or to something less reflective and plop render each area. That's the Content....now for the Context.

The POV is ok, try moving the figure slightly to the right and turning him slightly clockwise. This will add more of the profile of his face and his hands to an angle which flows for the viewer.
This will pull the view from the light, through the scene to your main subject.

Great start, keep us updated.

ICM

___
Ockham's razor- It's that simple

I think the camera angle will have to change, you're right.  I wanted to keep the roof because I liked the concept, but it's really not working all in all now that it's mentioned.