Waterscapes

Fall at Brandywine Falls

With the fall foliage in peak and my creative eye itching for some action, I took a look back in my archives to relive my prior year adventures in fall colors photography. One such adventure was to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio.

I had always dreamt of capturing a waterfall surrounded by the reds and yellows of the maples and oaks. And one such waterfall that leaped out in my research for such a scene was Brandywine falls - a beautiful fan-type waterfall that cascades down multiple rock ledges surrounded by foliage that was just starting to change for the season.

Even my journey to the falls, walking along the 1.5mi long trail to the waterfall, winding its way through a very colorful forest on a rustic boardwalk, with glimpses of the beautiful gorge below, was just amazing. And after half hour of walking, my ears picked up the comforting roar of a waterfall. And soon enough, my eyes spied, through a clearing amidst the yellow foliage, the creek racing down the segmented layers of rock, with a dusting of brown leaves all around.

The setting for this waterfall couldn't be more memorable. I quickly set to work. Anticipating a small clearing in the clouds for sunlight to get through, I captured a few choice exposures of the lovely waterfall and the vegetation around it. One such exposure was this, shot with the help of a neutral density filter.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park
OH USA

End of the Day

End of the day

At the end of the day, is when you arguably have the best light for photography.
At the end of the day, during the subtle transition from day to night, is when the new colors pop into the scene.
At the end of the day, when dusk turns to twilight, is when a long exposure brings out an ethereal feel to the moving landscapes.
At the end of the day, is when the crowds depart leaving you alone to contemplate the scene at hand.
At the end of the day, is when the loneliness encourages you to introspect life while still feeling the rush of photography.
After all, at the end of the day, a photo is nothing more than a collection of pixels, an aggregation of data, a frozen slice of time. And it is in the hands of the photographer to bring mean to it.

Long after the crowds had disappeared at the Natural Bridges State Beach along the Pacific coast, I made this long exposure that captured the last vestiges of color in the moving sky and the turbulent ocean. The thought of 'one more exposure' kept me going during this cold spell until both the light and my energy levels gave out.

Natural Bridges State Beach
CA USA

Photography - a constant for life

One of the constant tenets that I have observed in my life is change. Every day brings about new possibilities and opportunities, and along with it, new twists and turns. I have realized that perhaps one of the best ways to deal with life-changing changes is to have a constant - an object, person, place, or activity that one can cling on to. And the purpose of that constant is not to escape away from the harsh reality, but to provide an anchor point that you can trust.

For me, that constant has been photography for the sake of photography. It has imparted in me a great drive to continue exploring and discovering places, to seek out new challenges and opportunities, as well as an inspiration for curiosity

When I was processing a set of images from a Pacific sunset, it reminded me of where I had come from and what all I had experienced since that moment. Despite those changes, it is that passion for photography that has kept me in awe of this planet.

Now for the story behind the photo.

The year of 2014 heralded a lot of changes in my life. And while many began their year with a bad hangover, I instead chose to chase the clouds and a winter sunset along the beautiful Pacific coast near Santa Cruz in California. Normally getting to this location involves a scramble on mossy slippery rocks, but the low tide prior to the sunset ensured a rather easy climb up onto the ledge overlooking the misty swirls of the Pacific.

With a few minutes left for the sky to colorize, I started to visualize what the the best composition would be. Finally I ended up on this wedge of rock with a narrow channel to the left and waited around for the right wave to come crashing through the rocks. A few choice exposures later, I landed with a keeper, thanks to a graduated ND filter that kept the sky in check.

That finger of rock on the upper left is a prominent fixture in many of the Santa Cruz photographer's collection. And for good reason - the location has some amazing photographic opportunities that I would love to come back and explore.

Hole in the Wall Beach
CA USA

Sunset at Bonsai Rock

Ever since I had first seen images of the Bonsai Rock in Lake Tahoe, I was taken away by the location and the context of where it was: imagine a granite boulder smoothed by eons of water erosion resting on the shore of a azure blue lake surrounded by snow-capped peaks. And then imagine tiny sprigs of life taking root on the nooks and crevices of this tiny boulder. That is the spectacle of Bonsai Rock.

At first glance from the road, it may not have been much, but as I scrambled my way on the rocky shoreline down to the water-level, the profile of the bonsai rock grew even more predominant and striking. While the scene and the setting was perfect, the sky, on the other hand, was just bland. I strapped on a Blue-and-Gold Polarizer to add some unearthly colors to this scene, resulting in this exposure above.

Surreal reflections and colorful sunsets will have to wait another day.

Sand Harbor State Park
NV USA