Intimate West FallsWaterfall Photography A cloudy evening with an occasional drizzle. Where to go with the camera? Just about perfect conditions for some waterfall photography. Low light of the ending day combined with the layer of clouds makes it easy to use long exposures. Lack of harsh sunlight makes for a much easier exposure balancing act, and waterfalls come across much better in the resulting photographs so full of moody water. Well, at least in my opinion. After all, rain and waterfalls are closely related as one can see in many places where these natural beauties turn into trickles at best. It is the rain that replenishes the waterways and gives waterfalls their life.

This evening led me to West Falls where I had enjoyed the intricate small cascades before, either driving by or enjoying a bike ride through the beautiful area. Strangely, I had not photographed here before. I guess everything needs its time and the strategy for this waterfall just was not ripe until now. I knew I wanted to fill the frame with the creek bed and show the braids of water falling down the final step, the flow below the falls, and use the initial drop for the background.

Yet, I spent quite a bit of time shuffling the tripod a few inches left, a few inches right, then forward, and all over again. It's always amazing to me how just the tiniest move of the camera position changes the overall perspective in a photograph, especially when the foreground elements are as close as here. So much fun!

The second photograph was taken along the same route, just further south in the village of Colden, NY couple months earlier. That one was not new, I had photographed it before (Colden Falls, 2010). However, as you can see, that was quite a while back and with my older camera. I wanted to get a higher resolution photo and see if I could come up with a different perspective. Upon arrival, I somehow immediately defaulted to that same corner as I did five years ago. I did not resist, photographed it again, and proceeded with the same tripod shuffle as above at West Falls. Even here, the day was over and light scarce, the waterfall at its best.

Here's a perspective that I thought provided a more intense feel with the water rushing straight at you, as if to spill from the screen all over your keyboard.

Head On at Colden FallsWaterfall Photography

Head On at Colden Falls

Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you (#etbtsy)!

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