Thursday, November 10, 2011

Cloud Forest Cascade

Cloud Forest Cascade
ECUA08D-216
January 23, 2008

Serendipity does play a large role in photography, but probably even more important is allowing yourself the freedom to experience it.  I think of this photo, which originated in an early-morning run/hike session through the forest in Ecuador before my workshop began and I was forced to be a professional.  At the end of the trail I came across this small waterfall, which was in as idyllic a setting as imaginable.  After standing a few times to take standard shots, I looked down, and thought how much better it would be if I could give the feeling of the water flowing past you, which was how I perceived it while I was hiking.  So I hunkered down in the water, aiming upwards to capture the rocks at the forefront of the waterfall.  I was pleased at the result, and it won a regional award with my camera club back in Champaign.  But I enjoyed even more the feeling of discovery, the combination of my setting off with no expectations, and then visualizing this image how I wanted to capture it.  That doesn't happen often enough, something I need to work on, but on this morning it all came together for me in this image.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:
Camera: Nikon D80
Lens: Sigma 10-20 f/4.0-5.6
Focal length:  10 mm
Exposure: 15 sec @ f/22 ISO 100
Post-processing: Tone, sharpness adjusted in PS 4 and LR 1.4.

No comments:

Post a Comment