Photographing Waterfalls and Other Moving Waters

     Hey.  I started this post over a week ago.  I got interrupted by a grand child being born.  My daughter had her first and it's my first grandchild.  Here's his pic.  Liam was 8lb., 7oz. on December 8th, 2011.  Now entering another new dimension in my life.  Grandpappydom. lol

To the point, there is a lot of interest in photographing waterfalls.  I can tell you that I am certainly a fan, as are many of my friends and traveling companions.  Actually, any kind of moving water is a reason for me to attempt a photo, but especially waterfalls, though I love the ocean as well.   The ability to manipulate the water into a hard driving force, destroying all in it's wake, or a delicate cloudy blanket of white, spilling over the side of a hard rock face, has always been one of the cool things that I have enjoyed portraying with my camera.  It's one of those spaces where you have so much control and few limitations.
     So, today, we're in the forest, where waterfalls, and many other water features abound.
     Some of the things I've learned over the years have really made a difference in the type and quality of image that I produce.  The most significant thing that I learned was the use of circular polarizers and graduated neutral density filters.  You don't need a whole boatload of specialized equipment to shoot waterfalls, but you really should splurge for a circular polarizer, if nothing else.
     The circular polarizer, properly adjusted, will remove the glare from the water and imparts a deep, rich tone to the image.  I, personally, take all the glare out when I use this filter.  It is possible to allow some glare or, even all, to show, but, my preference, in general, is "0" glare.
     Another thing I've learned is to work with my shutter speeds.  Adjustment of the shutter speed can effect the texture of the water dramatically.  The longer the shutter is open, the silkier the water will look.  It's often advantageous to show some of the structure of the water, though, as it cascades over rocks .  Instead of a super big blob of white cottony mass with blowout (specular highlights, as my friend calls them), you will start to notice more texture where the water moves over the rocks as you increase your shutter speed.  There's an example of three images shot at three different shutter speeds below.  Of course, the longer you leave the shutter open, the more likely you are to discover other phenomena that move.  We're talking tree branches and leaves, and sky as well, if you've included that.  You'll have to decide if the compromise of long shutter for effect is worth it, given your particular circumstance.
To be safe, bracketing is in order.  The lower set of three images is part of a nine shot bracket.  It was shot with my D700 which will do it automatically, when set, and that's fine for me, but back in the day, I used to shoot 3, 5, 7, and 9 shot brackets manually.  It's not a big deal, once you figure out which way to turn the shutter speed dial.  lol.  I screwed up a bunch of bracketed shots by turning the dial the wrong way.  Learn your camera.  Anyway, the nice thing about auto bracketing is the speed of it. The speed of it comes in very handy for HDR images.   When I would manually bracket, it would often be the case that the difference between frames would show a lot of blur in tree limbs and leaves as well as sky when converting in HDR.  With the auto bracket feature on D700 (and others), you just set it, push and hold and listen for the appropriate number of clicks.
     So, this is Courthouse Falls located in Western North Carolina.  Images are from Fall of 2011.  Rainy day at the end of October.  Images were processed in Adobe Camera Raw and sharpened in Photoshop CS5.

1/20 F8

1/10 F8

0.4 F8

For an even silkier effect, just reduce you shutter speed by changing your F Stop.  Here's one of my secret locations at F22 and 1.0 sec.

Big Creek

All of these images have been shot with a circular polarizing filter.  Basically, a polarizing filter will remove or greatly reduce the effect of reflections or glare upon the surface of the water, as long as you remember to rotate it.
     You'll notice above, that there is hardly any reflective quality to the water in the pool.  Normally, you would see something, even if it were just on the edge of some ripples.  With the polarizing filter, you can virtually eliminate the glare effect.  Not to be overlooked, is the added depth of color or saturation that is realized.  Colors will look very rich.  Here is an example of a shot with and without a circular polarizer.   Note the image at right is without glare and you can see to the bottom of the creek and identify the stone laying on the bottom.  Whereas, the next image (below right) shows the reflection of the colors of the surrounding trees casting their reflections upon the waters.
     So now we know what polarization does,

Big Creek

we can choose when and when not to use it.  I was fortunate to have "forgotten" to adjust my circular polarizer on this shot, as I would not have gotten the effect of the blue and gold in the water if I had followed my normal habits.  Sometimes, someone is watching, even when you forget.  Anyway, yes, I profited from a mistake and some post processing was necessary to bring out the colors and effects in the second shot.
Which brings me to another point about shooting water.  As you will notice, there is an obvious effect of glare (or shine) on the water and it actually looks like liquid gold in some places.  In camera raw, use the sliders "Black-Contrast-Clarity-Saturation in combination to achieve the glossy molten look.  I can't tell you a formula, as each is different, but, if you work with it, it will come and can be made to appear even more dramatic if you want.


My personal opinion is that I like rainy days for shooting falls.  Not only do you get the best water flow, but skies are generally overcast or cloudy, helping to eliminate blown out portions and major contrast in the image.  However, if you find yourself in a situation with a bright sky at the top of a waterfall, which is often the case, there are several approaches.  One costs money, the other is a composition detail.  Adjust your composition to exclude (or include only minimal amounts of) sky.  Often, you will want to show what's above the crest of a waterfall, but all you will get is blowout. This is especially prevalent when you are down in the creek looking up.  Blowout (the lack of digital information) is the bane of landscape photographers and is often very hard to deal with.  The truth is, if you look at your scene, the reality is that certain parts are pure white, absent of digital data in the camera, but that's what nature is showing.  So, is it bad to show what nature is showing?  Not always, but, it can be very distracting in the final image.  Something you'll want to tame.  You can do this with HDR, however, even with HDR, it may be necessary to employ the rather expensive investment of Graduated Neutral Density Filters.
GND filters come in many shapes and sizes and are generally pretty expensive.  When I was using DX format, it was fairly inexpensive, relatively speaking, to purchase the Cokin "P" system.  I don't remember the cost, but compared to what is required for my newer FX series lenses, it was a bargain.  Once you start using these type of filters, you'll wonder how you got along without them.  It's amazing how much more productive you can be with a good set.  You can tame that bright sky with a GND filter or three.
The following are shot of High Falls in Dupont State Forest, North Carolina.  The first is exposed for shadows, the second is exposed for highlights, and the third is exposed with multiple GND filters.  This is probably not the best example of the good use of GND, but the best I can muster at the moment.  Following the three examples is the finished product using HDR processing.

   

 

Here is the final.

Gotta go.  Drop me a line for any questions or just post something in the comments.  Happy waterfalling.

More A.M. Cincinnati

I've been waiting for over a month, ever since one of my friends showed up with a certain shot of downtown, to go and try to capture something similarly cool.  It was a shot of downtown from Devou Park, atop one of the hills in Kentucky, with the fog laying in the river basin.  Finally, this morning, from my back window, I could see conditions were looking good.  However upon arriving downtown, I found the situation to be less than desirable, not to mention, quite cold.  Here are the results of my mornings work.

On the way home, I stopped into the Eden Park Overlook, to see what I could see.  Not much there, but shot these two.

My wife doesn't like this one
but I sort of do and I played
with it a bit to get rid of some
blowouts and then blurred it.
Not sure which one I like best
and probably never make it to
the wall, but had some fun.










And into the sun with a barge you can barely make out at center left.

 On the way out, I was noticing some reflections in the pond, so here are a couple from there.

 

 This last one is HDR enhanced.  It came out a bit over done, but I like it.  Hope you do too.

Hocking Hills, Ohio

It was cold and wet in Hocking Hills.  Not bad for the water flow or photography, but definitely glove weather.  Our troop started out Thursday 27 October at Ash Cave.  It was nice.  We had the place all to ourselves.  My friend Dan says it was good water flow, better than he's seen in awhile.

 

We spent the evening deciding which new fall to go investigate, among other things, and set out for Conkle's Hollow first off.  This is a really cool place in more ways than one.  These next shots are from the trail in and the falls.

Where we also ran across some other colorful items.

 

And then the falls.

On the way out there were mass quantities of fungi growing all about.  This one made me think of pancakes.

After Conkle's, we headed up the road aways and then off road looking for Moore Falls.  It was not immediately obvious how to get to this place and we ended up doing a walkabout which eventually brought us full circle to the vehicles.  We finally found it right beside the road we had come in on.  It was not very photogenic, but it was a nice place and would probably look good after a hard rain.

After that we walked the rim of the canyon/gorge at Conkle's Hollow and saw a few more minor falls, but nothing really photographable and I was longing for a clear shot of the gorge but had to settle for this super crop and photoshoped version.  Lots of tree branches and cell towers have been removed.

We walked back to the vehicles and by this time it was getting dark.  Not that it hadn't been dark all day, but on toward evening and we decided to check out Old Man's Cave Trails upper falls area.  It was very late evening when I shot these.  I really like this falls it's one of my favorites.

It's unfortunate there wasn't more leaf color for this trip.  It would have been nice to have had some nice autumn color surrounding the falls.  Overall, not too bad and an enjoyable trip.  You can see all my Hocking Hills shots in this gallery.

A Day for the Birds

Downy Woodpecker

Today, was indeed, a day for the birds.  As I stepped out on the veranda (back deck) to have a look at the morning, there came this little Downy Woodpecker.  I watch it for awhile, then put down my coffee and grab my camera.  It wasn't very cooperative, jumping from place to place and hiding around the back side of the tree from time to time, but I managed one shot anyway.  They're an interesting bird, and like most that hang around my feeder, not apt to sit in one place for any length of time.  I think I need to put out some more suet.  They seem to hang around longer when there's suet on the tree.

When he finally left, I realized it was time to get busy.  Today was the day to make a visit to Raptor, Inc.  I have set up photo sessions with Raptor, Inc. for my photo club for the past three or four years, and today was the last one for this year.  It was going to be a beautiful day for shooting the birds and I was also excited to know that an old friend was going to be there as well.  My friend, Kelly Riccetti of Red and the Peanut had decided to come by to visit the birds.  I think she and her son had a good time.  Being the avid birder that she is, it was probably a cool thing to be up close and personal with these birds.  They're a great bunch.  Hope you had a good time Kelly.

Kelly Riccetti

Raptor, Inc. is a local (Cincinnati area) volunteer organization whose prime directive is to rehabilitate injured birds of prey.  To that end they have a facility for managing and maintaining these birds and are chartered by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.  They also have a number of birds, which are not candidates for release, that are being utilized in an educational outreach program, headed by Susan Williams.  The birds are shown at many venues, such as local schools, parks, and scout camps in order to give the public a view of the birds, while educating them as to proper procedure in case they come across a wounded bird of prey.

Today, we were hosted by my original contacts at Raptor, Inc.  Mark and Cindy Alverson are really dedicated raptor enthusiasts and spend almost every weekend at the facility feeding and tending to the business at hand.  We are fortunate to have them hosting our group.  So a big pat on the back to them and all the folks a Raptor, Inc. for the great work they do and a big thank you for hosting our group.

Here are the birds of Raptor, Inc. which are used in the education program.  More information about the birds on the Raptor, Inc. site.

Priscila - Barred Owl

Scarlet - Red Tailed Hawk

Sylvester - Great Horned Owl

Isis - Partial Albino Red Tailed Hawk

Storm - Barn Owl

Magnolia - American Kestral

Earl - Turkey Vulture

Lucy - Peregrine Falcon

Horatio "H" - Eastern Screech Owl

An amazing bunch of animals and an amazing crew at Raptor, Inc. Hats off and thanks for hosting our club.

See more bird photos here.

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Fall Color in the Smokys

Our adventure started 10 October 2011 with our arrival in Cataloochie at around 1PM.  The first thing we saw was a gorgeous untagged and uncollared elk.  He wasn't five feet from the truck.  Unfortunately, I was driving and couldn't get a good shot, but I followed him around for awhile and managed a few.  His

Well groomed elk at Cataloochie.

coat was magnificent.  It looked like he'd just come from the hairdresser.  What a gorgeous animal.  It's amazing how tame they seem.  Photographers don't seem to bother them.  We spent several hours there and then checked into our cabin in Maggie Valley, waiting for the rest of our crew and then up onto the Blue Ridge for some sunsets.  It was a singularly disappointing evening for sunsets and a wasted drive, as overcast set in as we approached.  However, the following morning yielded an amazing sight, as we headed to the same sight just west of Soco Gap.  A virtual sea of clouds floating in the valleys to the south made for a wonderful sight.  It was definitely worth getting up early for this spectacle.

Sunrise on BRP

Mill at Cade's Cove

Following our sunrise, we headed to Cade's Cove. It wasn't too bad, as it was a Tuesday, but a bit crowded and some stop and go at the beginning.  Seems there were bears here and there, but I couldn't see what folks were pointing their cell phones at so I drove on as permitted.  We stopped at one of the churches and took a few shots and one of the group spotted some deer and the turkey were all over the place.

Inside Cade's Cove Church

I had never seen the mill before, oddly enough, so I was quite happy to have the opportunity to shoot this shot.  There were tons of people there and it was hard to get many good shots.  There was a line at the spot where I took this shot and everyone was nice enough to give each other the opportunity to set up and make the shot.  I'm glad we stopped.

Cascades at Tremont

After Cades, we stopped in at Tremont. I was going to take the gang up to Spruce Flats, as that is one of my faves, but the water was sort of weak and I didn't think it would be worth the walk, so, we meandered up the river and hit the cascades above the footbridge.That was worth the walk. The light was good and there was sufficient water flow.

Sunset at Morton's Overlook

On the way home, we were driving by Morton's and got this shot.  It was a funny day.  It was overcast all day long on the Gatlinburg side and sun shining all day long on the Maggie Valley side.  I was glad to see the sun as we crested the mountain at Newfound Gap and it was only by happenstance that we caught this shot, as it all closed out very quickly.


It started raining Tuesday night and by Wednesday morning you could just tell it was going to be a wet day. We all hemmed and hawed for awhile and then I said let's go waterfalling and decided to take everyone on one of my usual trips. Not a bad day if you don't mind getting wet.

Courthouse Falls

We started out down the parkway again and got off at Devil's Courthouse. One of my favorite falls is Courthouse Falls and we headed on up FR 140. I was concerned for one of the vehicles with us, as there was that bad dip at the bridge and he didn't have high ground clearance. However, that turned out not to be a concern, as the area has been repaired and we forged ahead smoothly. The falls was in fine splendor and we all spent about an hour and a half shooting. Courthouse never seems to disappoint and that day was no exception.

Eastatoe Falls

After a dryoff and a drink we headed out. I really wanted to stop at Living Waters to show the folks what a great place that is, but I have a jones for Eastatoe, and time was of the essence, so I headed that way. Eastatoe is always beautiful and I love that place, but this day I was a bit disappointed as the flow was low. However, I did finally meet the owner. What a great guy. He was happy and even excited to see that we were all thrilled at being there. Wish he hadn't been on his way out, as I would have loved to talk to him awhile.

Whitewater Falls

Next was Whitewater Falls. It really started to rain hard as we headed down 281, and I was tempted to duck into White Owl for a minute, but the day was wearing on so we just drove on.

The Gang at Whitewater Falls

Lower Whitewater Falls

Whitewater Falls was looking pretty good. More water would have been nice and it could have stopped raining for a minute or two, but other than that, glorious as always and a bit of color too.  Even though there is only one place to shoot this falls from, it always has the effect of awesomeness.  Truly the king of them all.  I never get tired of visiting this place and we all had a real good time, even though we were cold and wet.  Kind of hard to let something like rain dampen your day when you're in the presence of such awesome nature.  Gotta love it.  Here's the motley crew.  Thanks for a great time.  Can't wait for the springtime.

Moonset from BRP

Thursday found us heading for Max Patch Mountain and Wolf Creek Falls.  I had heard about this place and wanted to go badly, so after another run up the parkway for sunrise, we headed on over to Harmon Den.   The trip out FR 148 is not for the faint of heart and can be pretty rough.  I certainly wouldn't recommend driving the family sedan out this road.  Actually, you should probably not go on this road with anything less than a high set truck and 4WD wouldn't hurt.

So about fifteen miles later we hit the falls, but along the way we stopped at Max Patch Mountain for a look at some fabulous vistas and a few quick shots.  It was a hard truck up the mountain side and no one was paying too much attention to our backside.  Unfortunately, right in the middle of an award winning 360 pano shot, a storm zoomed up the mountain and started belching rain by the bucket.  It was amazing.  As I was looking out to the south at a wonderful sunny landscape, I began to feel drops.  Upon turning, I saw nothing but dark gray and rain.  We all beat feet back down the mountain, managing to keep our cameras somewhat dry and jumped in the trucks.  There we me Lori Kincaid who aided us in finding our way to Wolf Creek Falls.  Thanks Lori.  Nice meeting you.

Wolf Creek Falls

The Gang at Wolf Creek Crossing

It was a stormy drive down into the woods on the way to Wolf Creek Falls, and even a bit spooky at times, but we made it and it stopped raining as well.  We parked and tried to decide which way to go.  Up the creek or down the creek.  Naturally, we picked the wrong way and all we found was a pond and an old washing machine.  As we returned to the the trucks, down out of the woods comes this guy.  His name was Kieth and he had a book and was looking for the falls too.  He joined us as we ventured downstream.  I have to say, it was worth the trouble driving fifteen miles on washboard roads to see this falls.  Great place.  Got some good shots.  Not sure I will ever go back though.  However, Max Patch is definitely on the list for a revisit.  After shooting, we walked back to the trucks and broke out the coolers for lunch and a group shot.  Thanks to Keith Garnes of Jamestown, TN for hanging out with us and also for the donation of his copy of Gregory Plumb's book.  I'll look forward to using it and seeing Keith again.








Friday was reserved for Big Creek but we stopped into Cataloochie in the morning for more elk.   I had always wanted to go to Big Creek and had been through Waterville several times over the years, but never hiked up the creek to Mouse Creek Falls.  I had heard it was nice and wanted to go and this was the trip to do it.  Fortunately, it was a nice day for a hike and had rained quite a bit the day before, so the water was moving.

Mouse Creek Falls

It was a pleasant hike and we met a lot of folks along the way.  On the way back down we were told about a rock house where loggers used to stay during the timber years, but we didn't have the energy to climb as it had been a long week.

Big Creek

I discovered that there was way more to shoot than Mouse Creek Falls on the Big Creek Trails.  On the way up I had spotted a few places but they were in full sun and blown out.  However, on the way back down, they were looking pretty good, so we stopped a few places more and I am really glad that we did.  We were in a bit of hurry but not too much to stop and shoot this place.  I was amazed at the difference in the look of the spot from earlier in the day.  I had a good time here and came away with more than one keeper.  We managed to get out of Waterville just in time to hit the road and zoom back up to the top of the parkway for the final sunset shots of our trip.  It turned out to be a pretty good evening for that as well and I'll remember this trip for a long time.