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