Crown Point Sunset: Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS

I’m just getting around to processing my images from last weekend’s trip to the Columbia River Gorge.  Yes, it was wet and overcast, but that made for excellent waterfall photography.  Also, one evening we were blessed with an awesome sunset (opening image).  Spring is a wonderful time to visit the Gorge, as the greens are vibrant and the cascades are absolutely gushing! You’ll also avoid the crowds of summer and the cold of winter.  Fall is another great time to visit, as the deciduous trees change to brilliant shades of yellow.  I try to make at least one trip in the spring and one in the fall to this area each year.  Every time I visit, I discover a new composition or different perspective on the same subjects. It’s like reading my favorite books over and over again.  If you haven’t visited this magical place, now is the perfect time, and if you have been there before, why not go back!

Sunset Reflected on Vista House (This is the same sunset as in the opening image): Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II

Red Rider: Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II

We started out at Troutdate, OR and drove the tortuous historic Columbia River Highway, as it followed the twists and turns of the Columbia River.  We stopped at almost every waterfall along the way, but the standouts were Latourell, Wahkeena, Multnomah, and Horsetail Falls.  After Horsetail Falls, we hopped on I-84, and head a few miles east to exit 40, where we parked our car and went on a beautiful hike to my absolute favorite waterfall of the area, Wahclella Falls.  Wahclella Falls is in Tanner Creek, next to the Bonneville Dam on the south side of I-84. The trailhead is located at the end of the parking lot. There are a few other paths right off the freeway, but the one you want is hidden back a few hundred feet. Several types of parking passes are honored here, including the Federal NW Forest Pass. If you don’t have a pass you can pay a $5.00 day use fee at the trailhead. We spent two days in the Gorge before heading back to Seattle. I hope you enjoy the images!

Latourell Falls: Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II

Path to Paradise: Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II

Wahkeena Falls: Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II

Forest Wildflowers: Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II

Wahclella Falls: Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II

Wahclella and Wildflowers: Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II

The day was overcast with light drizzle, perfect for waterfall and forest photography.  I left home at 6 am, grabbed a quick bite at McDonalds, and was at the park by 10:30.  I left my car at the North Fall parking area and did a relatively easy 3 1/2 mile loop that took me to Upper North Fall, North Fall, and Winter Fall.  I came across very few people and took my time enjoying the hike and views.  I don’t think I captured anything spectacular, but today was more about the journey and hike.  I stopped over in Portland and had dinner before heading back to Seattle.  By 8 PM I was downloading and post-processing the images from the day.

Here are a few tips and personal preferences for waterfall photography:

• I love overcast days for waterfalls, as the light is diffused, with no harsh shadows or overly bright sunlit areas.
• If at all possible, I try to not include a lot of sky in my images, as gray skies are dull, uninteresting, and often show up as bright, overexposed areas in my pictures.
• My favorite shutter speed for waterfalls is between 1/4 and 3/4 second.  Any slower, the water looks too much like shaving cream for my taste.  Any faster than 1/4 second, and the water isn’t blurry enough.  This is all personal preference, of course.
• I like to use a polarizer when shooting waterfalls, because it significantly reduce glare from things such as water surface and wet leaves.
• Because you’re working with such slow shutter speeds, a tripod is a must.  Don’t be lazy; carry a tripod.  I also recommend using a cable release and enabling mirror lock-up if your camera has the feature.
• Proper exposure can be tricky, as waterfalls are very white while the surround foliage, rocks, etc. are much darker.  I always exposure bracket my shots about 1 to 1 1/2 stops on either side of 0.  I then combine the exposures later in post-processing to get the perfect balance between highlight and shadow detail.  In the near future, I’ll write a tutorial describing how I do this.
• I often find myself getting very close to waterfalls, and keeping my equipment (especially the front of the lens) free of water droplets is a real challenge.  I carry a small lens cloth which I use to wipe down the front of the lens (or polarizing filter if you have it on) between exposures.  The trick is to have everything set up (eg, composition, f-stop/shutter speed/ISO values) first.  Then wipe down the lens and snap the image (or bracketed images).  A lens hood helps, as does a portable umbrella.

Here are a few shots from today’s trip.

Panasonic GF-1, Panasonic 14-45 f/3.5-5.6 lens, 26mm (52mm equivalent), f/18, (2/3 and 1 1/3 sec exposures), ISO 100

Panasonic GF-1, Panasonic 14-45 f/3.5-5.6 lens, 23mm (46mm equivalent) f/8, 8 sec, ISO 100

Panasonic GF-1, Panasonic 45-200 f/4.5-5.6 lens, 132mm (264mm equivalent), f/8, 1/13 sec, ISO 100