creek – Page 4

September 2, 2011September 5, 2017

Waterfalls of the Columbia River Gorge

Wild flowers adorn the creek that descends from the base of Latourell Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Earlier this summer I spent a couple of mornings in the Columbia River Gorge, photographing just a few of the many waterfalls that line its cliffs. Luckily, I was blessed with Oregon’s trademark high overcast skies, which gave me the perfect diffused light with which to do forest photography. By cutting out all the scattered light beams filtering through the canopy, I was able to get even light across the entire scene, and reduce the dynamic range to something my camera could handle.

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The two preceding images are of Latourell Falls, which seems to have endless foreground opportunities. While most of the falls in the Gorge cascade down rock faces, this waterfall plunges off an overhanging basalt cliff, allowing the water to fall straight down. Since there are never any true straight lines in nature, having a strong vertical line to work into the composition can be a lot of fun.

Ponytail Falls shoots outward from a cleft in a rock cliff, and cascades over large stones below, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

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Ponytail Falls sits upriver from Horsetail Falls, a much larger waterfall closer to the road. While Ponytail may be inferior to its companion in size, it makes up for it in beauty. This fall shoots out from a notch in the cliff, creating a pleasing arc of water. A hiking trail wraps around the base of the cliff behind the waterfall, giving hikers the added bonus of seeing the fall from a different perspective.

Shepperds Dell Falls empties into a narrow canyon overgrown with greenery, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

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Shepperd’s Dell Falls is absolutely covered with green. This is a nice tidy little waterfall that starts well below the trailhead, allowing views from high above looking down. Of course, shooting so much foliage makes using a polarizer a must. This will cut all reflections on the leaves, and really make the green color pop. This is an effect that cannot be replicated well in post processing.

The river below Wahkeena Falls cascades past a fern, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

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Just below Wakheena Falls is a beautiful cascade that runs past lush ferns and wild flowers. It is not as well visited, as it is tucked away below the road, and most visitors are drawn immediately to the waterfall.

Bridal Veil Falls empties into a small pool surrounded by dense forest, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

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The last waterfall I covered in this trip was Bridal Veil Falls. This is one of the more popular waterfalls along this stretch of road. Equally as popular is the Bridal Veil post office, which receives boxes of wedding invitations from all over the world, so that the invitations can be postmarked by the town of “Bridal Veil” and mailed out to potential wedding guests.

I have to admit, I had a little trouble with the aesthetics of this waterfall. The shot above is a straight-forward interpretation, shot from an (ahem) observation platform. Okay, let’s be honest – it is a vacation snapshot! I wasn’t very happy with this rendering, as I felt it lacked conveying the almost ethereal quality of the grotto that this waterfall plunged into. I worked the scene and settled on the more distant perspective below.

Bridal Veil Falls opens up into a creek that flows through dense forest, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

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The best part of this photo excursion is that I only scratched the surface of the multitude of waterfalls along the Gorge. With so much water flowing into the Columbia River, and so many overcast days (smile), this area really can be a photographer’s paradise.

Gear I used to create the photos in this post:
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August 23, 2011January 14, 2013

Ten Lakes, Yosemite National Park

After waiting all summer for the snow to melt out of the high country, I finally ventured north of Tioga Road with some friends from college for a weekend backpacking trip. Instead of my usual high mileage days, our focus was on leisure time in the backcountry, which gave me plenty of time for photography. We hiked into the Ten Lakes region – an area featuring a chain of lakes with forested streams in between them, all draining into the Tuolumne River far below.

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We found a campsite at the far end of a small lake. The site was situated atop a thirty foot cliff, giving us a commanding view of the lake and surrounding cliffs. Behind us rose an unnamed granite peak, offering the camp a nice backdrop. Best of all however, was the nearby stream dropping from an upper lake into the lake below. There was an endless variety of small pools and cascades, giving me plenty of material to work with.

A stream runs between two lakes in the Ten Lakes chain, forming a small cascade, Yosemite National Park. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 50. Evaluative metering -2/3 EV: .6 sec. at f/16.

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Just before sunset on our first night, the clouds started moving in. While other campers might have cast a worrisome eye to the skies, I was elated. I knew that the chance for a dramatic sunset was greatly increased with the changing weather conditions, and thankfully I was rewarded with one. The best part – I only had to walk about ten yards from our campsite to get the view I wanted. Given it required almost no work on my part, I almost felt guilty.

The dramatic skies of sunset are reflected in one of lakes of the Ten Lakes chain, Yosemite National Park. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 100. Evaluative metering -2/3 EV: 2.5 sec. at f/16.

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The next morning was bright and clear. I woke up early to explore the area, and see what the morning had to offer. Our little lake looked quite different in the morning, and I took advantage of the still air to get a nice reflection in the background of a camp-side stream photo. I can never get enough of Sierra Nevada granite.

Trees and vegetation grow amid Sierra granite, Ten Lakes, Yosemite National Park. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 50. Evaluative metering 0 EV: 1.3 sec. at f/16.

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Working my way up the stream, I found a spot where I could capture the running water with the peak that rose above our site.

A stream cascades down slabs of granite below an unnamed peak, Ten Lakes, Yosemite National Park. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 50. Evaluative metering -2 EV: .6 sec. at f/18.

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This day was a rest day – full of fishing and exploring some of the other lakes in the chain. Working our way up to a higher lake, we saw there were still huge slabs of snow right at the shoreline. Going higher still, we found a lake with no fish, but a perfect spot for a mid day swim. There is something very special about having an entire lake to yourself in the most populated state in the nation. Of course, along the way, I also had plenty more opportunities for photos.

A stream cascades through a forest in the Ten Lakes region of Yosemite National Park. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 50. Evaluative metering -2/3 EV: 1/6 sec. at f/16.

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After exhausting ourselves and getting a great night of sleep, it was time to head back to the real world. It was a great trip, with beautiful landscape and only seven miles of hiking each way. While the location was not as remote as most of my Sierra trips, I enjoyed the slower pace and additional time for photography. I’ll definitely have to work in more trips like this in the future!

November 14, 2010January 14, 2013

Bishop Creek Waterfall (Photo of the week)

Water cascades down the south fork of Bishop Creek, Inyo National Forest, CA

This week’s photo was a tough choice for me. I couldn’t decide if I liked the photo above, or the photo below better. I shot the first photo as I came upon the scene, exploring the best angles from which to capture this waterfall. I loved how the roots of the bush on the left seemed to break the granite into small slabs, so I moved in close to simplify the scene, resulting in the second photo.

A root system grows from broken granite, Bishop Creek, Inyo National Forest, CA

After much deliberation, I chose the first photo as my favorite for several reasons. Firstly, it is more of a layered photo, with several foreground elements stacking up to lead the eye easily to the upper waterfall. Secondly, it accentuates the fall colors a little more than the second photo. There are more trees included in the background, and since it was shot from a higher vantage point, there are more fall colors reflected in the pool between the upper and lower waterfalls. The second photo holds more tension because the root system really makes the eye travel around it and up the creek. Either way, I like them both.

As with any art, there is no “right” answer in photography (although there can be many wrong answers!)

November 11, 2010January 14, 2013

Fall color reflection – which photo is better?

In today’s post, I present two images I took one after the other in the same location. Which one do you like better? Today you get to be the judge. Add your comments below (no registration of any kind necessary).

Silken water reflects the gold colors of fall, South Fork Bishop Creek, Inyo National Forest, CA

Water pours over rocks, South Fork Bishop Creek, Inyo National Forest, CA

I was photographing along Bishop Creek when I came across the scene in the first photo. I was attracted to the aesthetics of the small ripple in the creek, and thought it would make a strong foreground element. There were slight color reflections in the water, and I loved how the water poured over the top of the rocks. After taking the shot, I realized that my foreground element was strong enough to stand alone as more of an abstract. So I moved closer, recomposed, and took the second photo.

So, which is the better photo? Tell us which you like better and why in the comments below.