Waterfall Wednesday 11/27/2024

[AlanLichty]

I got spoiled last fall with some amazing colors in the Columbia River Gorge and this year was a huge let down in comparison. I decided to spend more time processing last year's bounty to console myself.

This is a wide view of the Wahkeena Falls area as seen from the air. This is the edge of the USFS no-fly zone which starts at the Union Pacific rails and extends up to the top of the cliffs and over to include Multnomah Falls. I use telephoto lenses for closer views of the falls most of the time but in this case wanted to include more of the fall color. Traffic at these falls has turned into a madhouse this year since ODOT has closed the Historic Highway just to the left of the parking lot for the winter (or more) to rebuild one the bridges. I was there a couple of weeks ago and cars were parked at any wide spot in the road starting about a mile from the parking lot with people walking on the roadway. That was on a weekday too. Good reason to fly

Single shot at 24mm

 

[Ken Rennie]

Glen Bruar from my recent trip, apart from the first image showing the main falls. This was the only day of sunshine which made it frustrating for photography but wonderful as a walk in the countryside and impossible to get a decent image of the main falls, I dislike sunshine on waterfalls. Ken

Above the bridge is a series of falls/ cascades

A couple of close ups.

 

[AlanLichty]

Glen Bruar from my recent trip, apart from the first image showing the main falls. This was the only day of sunshine which made it frustrating for photography but wonderful as a walk in the countryside and impossible to get a decent image of the main falls, I dislike sunshine on waterfalls. Ken
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Above the bridge is a series of falls/ cascades
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A couple of close ups.
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Beautiful set Ken - I love the views above the bridge and image #2 in particular. Neat cascades. I prefer cloudy or rainy days to shoot waterfalls over direct or patchy sunlight. I ended up buying a Singh-Ray Vari-ND that lets me set the shutter speed I needed for the water and then setting the ND for the correct exposure. I still have the filter but I don't use it unless there is no other way to get what I want.

 

[Beth]

amnicon falls, wi

 

[AlanLichty]

amnicon falls, wi

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Nice waterfall scene Beth. This looks like a place that would be fun to shoot with fall colors.

 

[Jameel Hyder]

One of the many waterfalls in the mt rainier np.

 

[AlanLichty]

One of the many waterfalls in the mt rainier np.

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Nice drop-off and cascades to go along with some patchy fall(?) color.

 

[Michael13]

Shepard's Dell in the Gorge. World's shortest hike to a waterfall.

 

[AlanLichty]

Shepard's Dell in the Gorge. World's shortest hike to a waterfall.

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Sweet - added bonus for Shepperds Dell is the fact that most folks drive right on by that little grotto so less crowded than most falls along the Historic Highway

 

[dan swiger]

Yosemite 15 years ago

 

[AlanLichty]

Yosemite 15 years ago
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Beautiful rapids Dan - I especially like the second image looking at the water through the changing leaves.

 

[Jon Bev]

One of the many waterfalls in the mt rainier np.

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In my opinion not many waterfall pictures are successful, due mainly to the contrast between the sparkling white water and the usually black rocks, you guys that manage to achieve good results please give us a few tips. Th one above is fine due to the greenery, thanks Jameel.

 

[AlanLichty]

In my opinion not many waterfall pictures are successful, due mainly to the contrast between the sparkling white water and the usually black rocks, you guys that manage to achieve good results please give us a few tips. Th one above is fine due to the greenery, thanks Jameel.

Tip #1 - shoot in the shade
Tip #2 - shoot on a cloudy day
Tip #3 - better yet is shooting in the shade on a cloudy day
Tip #4 - early in the morning or in the evening with no direct light
Tip #5 - the jackpot is shooting in the shade on a cloudy day early in the morning or late in the evening

 

[Ken Rennie]

Totally agree with Alan, overcast days are perfect. The next stage is deciding on YOUR preferred shutter speed. If the water is actually falling there is little visual difference with shutter speeds from 1/10s to many seconds. However splash pools and water flowing above or below the falls will look very different with varying shutter speeds. In my experience the texture of the flowing water changes with water flow, distance from the camera and focal length. My preferrwd shutter speeds have changed, partly due to Waterfall Wednesday, I used to use multiple seconds but now it is usually around 1/3s but I still take images at many different shutter speeds. If in doubt 1/3s will look good with low water flow shoot slower and heavy water flow shoot faster. It is easier if you do not have bright sky behind the falls and lastly if you are shooting in the shade when processing take your white balance from the falling water. This will give you white water not blue or violet that I often see. This image 0.6s because the water flow was low'ish and I liked the texture of the foreground water, the actual waterfall looked the same at all shutter speeds from 0.1 through 3s. Definitely the last tip, do not be fooled by how the water looks on your rear screen, it often looks more detailed and you get home and look on a big screen and the water looks " mushy". Hope this helps. Ken