Lighten up!

It was almost eight years ago that I took a nasty fall on ice in Alaska. I made it home but was in a ton of pain for weeks.  It took a while to get back into the swing of things but I started with, out of necessity, carrying less equipment and getting back to basics.

Courthouse Falls, North Carolina
Canon EOS 1D II, 24-105mm @ 47mm, ISO 250, f/11 at 2.5sec

Funny thing.  When I lightened up I had more fun.  I didn't shoot quite as many images as I had in the past but for some reason I got some arguably decent shots and had fun in the process.

Roaring Fork, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
Canon EOS 20D, 24-105mm @ 32mm, ISO200, f/16 @ 1 sec.

Carrying less of a load was more than just being less painful.  It freed me up to concentrate on what's important and I saw an improvement in my images.  So, if you want better outcomes and less pain, maybe -- just maybe -- the trick is to lighten up.

Sometimes it's OK to look back...

Most of us have probably been told to not look back because yesterday is in the past and we can't change what's happened -- we can only look forward.  That's true.

Yet there are times when looking back isn't just permissible, it's a good idea.  We all know (or should) that he or she who fails to heed the lessons of history is condemned to repeat them.  And on the trail shared with bears at Alaska's Katmai National Park it's helpful to know if there's a bear right behind you.  

In photography the excitement of a scene sometimes causes tunnel vision.  I can get so excited by what's in front of me that I sometimes forget that maybe the scene behind me is even better.  I teach that in workshops but I don't always follow my own advice.

Last spring I was at Hocking Hills State Park about an hour away from Columbus, Ohio.  The water was flowing, the weather was cooperative and the park was almost deserted at the break of day.  I started, as I usually do when I'm there, at Cedar Falls.  A short hike leads to a waterfall best shot just after sunrise before harsh light ruins the scene.

Cedar Falls, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio
Fujifilm X-E2, 18-55mm at 20mm, ISO200, f/16 10 sec.

It was a glorious time shooting this but all good things need to come to an end because there are other waterfalls in the park and a limited amount of time when "good light" is available.  So I turned to go back up the trail when the sight and sound of rushing water caught my attention.

There, behind the trail, was a hidden cascade that was beckoning me -- one I might easily have ignored in my haste had I not taken the time to look behind me.

Hidden Cascade, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio
Fujifilm X-E2, 18-55mm at 26mm, ISO 200, f/16 at 5sec

I wish I could have spent more time with this seasonal cascade but I had to get to Old Man's Cave to hike down the canyon and shoot the lower falls.

Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio
Fujifilm X-E2, 18-55mm at 18mm, ISO200, f/16 at 2.5 sec

I spent a lot of time working the lower falls but not before I got diverted again.  This time the upper falls, sometimes a little difficult to safely shoot and often wiped out by harsh light, was flowing exceptionally well.  What little trail that can be safely navigated was narrow and muddy and the view was somewhat truncated but, in my opinion, worth the diversion.

Upper Falls at Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio
Fujifilm X-E2, 18-55mm at 32mm, ISO 200, f/16 at 1.5 sec.

Supposedly it's common knowledge that men don't like to ask for directions.  Sometimes that's not a good thing.  But other times it's better to buy into my explanation:  "I'm not lost.  I'm exploring."

Don't be afraid to explore and remember that the better scene might just be behind you.

Making Lemonade

There's a Chinese proverb that it's better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.  It's one of my favorites.  As a photographer I curse a lot -- usually because what I had hoped to be a great shot possibility fizzled.  A "Black Friday weekend" trip to Seattle and Portland pretty much handed me a bunch of lemons in terms of photo opportunities.  A lot of heavy rain and localized flooding.

So, what do you do when you're handed a bunch of lemons?  Make lemonade, if you can!

North Falls, Silver Falls State Park, Oregon

Fujifilm X-E1 and 50-200mm lens.

It was a challenge to keep the camera and lens dry enough to record an image successfully.  Only a few attempts were worth it.  This was one of them.

On my way back to Seattle the weather cleared and I headed for Tumwater Falls, a privately owned park with a waterfall.  Too late.  Gates closed.  But as I drove away I saw golden light on the Washington State Capitol in Olympia.  Eureka!

Washington State Capitol, Olympia, WA

Fujifilm X-E1 and 50-200mm lens

Neither of these above images were the photographs I thought I would be shooting that day.  In life, as well as photography, you will be handed lemons.  Are you going to complain of thirst or make lemonade?

Waterfalls...getting "flowy" water

Horsetail Falls
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon
Fujifilm X-E2, 18-55mm

It's no secret -- I love waterfalls.  I love photographing waterfalls.  And while photographing waterfalls isn't quite rocket science there are a few basics to follow to get good images.

The first, of course, is to have the right hardware for the job.  In addition to your camera you should have it mounted on a good ballhead which in turn should be mounted onto a good tripod.  A circular polarizing filter is essential for minimizing glare and reflections.  A remote shutter release helps with camera stability while photographing.  A graduated neutral density filter can be employed to tone down "hot spots" in the sky or in the water.  Plastic bags and a microfiber cloth will help keep your camera and lens dry (waterfalls can have enormous spray).

Photographing water basically has two extremes -- very fast exposures to stop action and longer exposures to give water what my friend and teacher Willard Clay likes to call a "flowy look."  Most people want waterfalls to look "flowy" which means longer shutter speeds.  It's hard to shoot slow in very bright light so waterfalls are best photographerd right after sunrise, right before sunset or on an overcast day.  The cable release will help minimize camera movement to ensure a sharper image. 

With all of these ducks in a row just remember to "shoot slow for the flow."

Ponytail (Upper Horsetail) Falls
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon
Fujifilm X-E2, 18-55mm

I try to shoot waterfalls at various times of the year.  The force of the water in the spring after the snow melts is usually quite powerful -- but so, too, is the spray that can frustrate a good photograph. It's often a losing battle just to keep your camera and lens dry.  Go too late in the year and your waterfall may be just a trickle of water.

Snoqualmie Falls, Washington
Fujfilm X-E2, 18-55 mm

Snoqualmie Falls -- a half hour or so east of Seattle -- can be photographed at any time of the year. This shot a couple of weeks ago would have been more more challenging in the spring when the spray could soak you and your equipment.

A good waterfall photograph requires the right gear, the right light and the right attitude:  "Shoot slow for the flow." 

Failing Art … or Failing To Teach?

Latuourell Falls
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon
Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm XF lens

As a child I was a failure in some ways -- or so said my report cards.  My penmanship was so wicked that I began typing in the second grade (not a bad life skill).  I was hardly coordinated in physical education (but in my 30's I took up running -- until my knees exercised veto power). "Industrial Arts" was another flop.  I never quite got the hang of using the plane although in later years I've assembled lots of furniture, built shelves, painted, repaired plumbing and electrical work and wired telephone and cable ports.  And in "art" I couldn't draw worth a damn.  

I had many great teachers -- many who remained lifelong friends.  Yet I still wonder how much of the desire to learn was killed off by an insistence on competitive orthodoxy rather than by trying to develop the abilities that were there.  When teachers did that the results were almost always successful. What if one of those art teachers asked, "Have you considered taking up photography?"  I ponder that from time to time in between shots.  Instead of focusing on what I couldn't do well what if they had tried to ascertain and develop the things that I could.

Guy Talbot State Park, Oregon
Fujifilm X-E2, 18-55mm XF lens

Clearly I couldn't draw a forest scene or a bird but the elements of composition and light in photography are part of "art" -- so why was that overlooked way back when?

Reddish Egret
Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida
Canon EOS 7D, 500mm f/4L

Thankfully today there is more awareness of students who may be "differently able."  The push for "standardized" testing and evaluation of students ignores that not everyone learns the same and that good students may have different abilities.  Education is more than staying within the lines or getting the right answers on a multiple choice exam.  It's about preparing a student for life.  

I still can't draw worth a damn.  And frankly, I don't give a damn.

Pine Glades Lake, Everglades National Park, Florida
Nikon 1 V1, Nikkor 10-30mm

Cumberland Falls -- Kentucky's Gem

Corbin, Kentucky's claim to fame is that it's the birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken, the finger-licking artery-clogging fast food pioneered by Col. Harlan Sanders.  But a nearby gem is Cumberland Falls State Park, a state "resort" park worth a visit even if dining in its lodge is a step or two below its West Virginia cousins.

It's a short walk from the parking area to the viewpoint overlooking the falls.  I don't recommend shooting from close in because of vandalism and dumping trash that simply isn't very photogenic.  Moving back eliminates that problem.

Cumberland Falls, Fujjifilm X-E2, 18-55mm



Several times a year the night sky will allow for "moonbow" shots.  Also not a bad place for fall color and sunrise shots, particularly on a foggy day.

Almost Heaven - Blackwater Falls, West Virginia

There's an interesting misperception about scenic photography that someone these great shot opportunities somehow mysteriously happen and occasionally it's true that you'll wind up in the right place at the right time with the right camera and lens combination at your disposal.  Most of the time, though, the better places require planning, a healthy dose of logistics and being there when the light is right (and sometimes that light may only exist for a matter of seconds).

Blackwater Falls, Fujifilm X-E2, 18-55mm, circular polarizer



One of those places where some grueling logistics pays off is Blackwater Falls located in the West Virginia state park of the same name which is about a four hour drive from Washington, D.C.

If you arrive right at sunrise you will walk down a total of 214 steps (mercifully they are in manageable segments) to a boardwalk with an upper and lower viewpoint.  You may have a half hour or so to work with unless you luck out with an overcast day but even with limited time you are not likely to have an unproductive day.

Navigating those steps can work up an appetite.  A "bonus" to photographing here is that there is a nice state park lodge with a restaurant that features a good reasonably-priced breakfast buffet.

The best times to shoot here are in the spring and fall.  You might not think of West Virginia as a fall color hotspot but it rivals northern Wisconsin and Michigan as well as New England.  Canaan Valley State Park is a stone's throw from Blackwater Falls with great fall color potential -- and another nice lodge with a breakfast buffet!

There aren't a lot of nature photography opportunities closer to Washington, D.C. but Great Falls of the Potomac National Park near McLean, Virginia is a worthwhile stop at sunrise and sunset.  Come at any other time of the day and be prepared for harsh light (unless the skies are overcast) and large crowds.  Some of my best shots here come well after sunset.

Great Falls of the Potomac, Fujifilm X-E2, 18-55mm



Although this can be shot wide a telephoto lens will allow more experimentation and cropping.  The Great Falls Tavern is a good place for dinner after sunset.