Looking Glass

With sheer granite walls, and a river flowing over the top, this waterfall is enough to leave you speechless when you first walk into sight of it. Down into the basin, typically full of the cold currents no matter the season, the cold mist sprays up form the rock beds, landing like drops of heavy dew upon everything in its path. Slowly painting your layers in heavy, cold water. A breathtaking sight, just bellow the road traveling towards the Cradle of Forestry, the chilly waters breathe life in the surrounding area, this is Looking Glass Falls.

A photo I had taken two years prior, before I understood my way of shooting, before I understood, truly what it was to compose an image. This is a second chance, and though the waters were low this time, I appreciate the chance to try again. I crawled out into the basin, and began working the scene as you should, while the icy waters liked around the rocks, it was barely ankle deep at best. On another day I may of trudged out into it, but it just wasn’t my day for it on this particular trip.

The edit took some interesting turns as I worked the image over. I went through my hundred plus shots, tweaks, and general shutter speed experiments until I found two images I liked for different reasons. I wanted the foreground water to be smoother, less choppy, but I wanted the waterfall to have some amount of texture to it, less silky. I painted in the faster shutter speed, then began working the colors around the falls, deepening some shadows, while revealing others. In the end this was what I felt captured my idea of the scene best.

Until Next Time!

Aperture: f8
ISO: 400
SS: 1/10th
Focal: 15mm

Fujinon 8-16mm