ScottLThomas

Living Waters

Upper Tahquamenon Falls, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is yellow from the copper ore in the ground. In the fall it is simply spectacular. This 15 second e...
Read more

Upper Tahquamenon Falls, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is yellow from the copper ore in the ground. In the fall it is simply spectacular. This 15 second exposure allowed the pooling water to fan out into a lovely shape.
Read less

PENTAX K-5

settings

Aperture f/9 ISO 100 Shutter 15/1 Focal Length 2400/100

upload_date

Jul, 2018

Views

109

Likes

Awards

Top Shot Award

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Outstanding Creativity

Absolute Masterpiece

Top Choice

Superb Composition

Peer Award

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, at Tahquamenon Falls State Park. This is Upper Tahquamenon Falls.

Time

This was a mid-morning shot in late September, so the there is plenty of color in the fall foliage. I love waterfalls, and this is a large and powerful falls. The water has streaks of orange in it, from the copper in the ground throughout the area.

Lighting

The mostly cloudy fall skies made the light soft and luscious. I love the way the oranges of the water (from the copper minerals in the ground) mirror the colors of the fall foliage in the trees.

Equipment

This was shot with a Pentax K-5, and the lens was an 18-135 Pentax zoom. I set up a tripod and framed the shot, then used a 6-stop Neutral Density filter to allow for a long exposure. I tried several different exposure times, to get a silky look in the water. This was my favorite - a 15 second exposure which left the water smooth and soft, but also created the lovely shape below the falls - something like a large jellyfish.

Inspiration

I love waterfalls, and had heard about Tahquamenon for many years, but had never been there. I had planned a fall foliage trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and planned to take in Tahquamenon while there. It certainly worked out well!

Editing

This photo required some post-processing. The raw file was quite flat, of course, so I boosted the contrast and brightened the colors. Then I painted in some additional brightening and a bit of saturation on the orange areas, to make them look more the way I remembered them.

In my camera bag

I have changed to a mirrorless camera, so now have a Canon EOS-R with a 24-240 mm zoom which covers a lot of range, and is great for travel. I usually have my tripod, ND filters, a polarizing filter, and a Platypod Pro (for places where a tripod isn't practical).

Feedback

There are a lot of places with great fall colors, and a lot of places with waterfalls. The key is to time it right to find both in one place, then watch for good weather, get out early enough to avoid harsh light, and find the composition you like. Be sure to take a tripod or other stabilization method, and ideally, take an ND filter to help get that great look in the water!

See more amazing photos, follow ScottLThomas

ScottLThomas

ScottLThomas

Living Waters

Upper Tahquamenon Falls, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is yellow from the copper ore in the ground. In the fall it is simply spectacular. This 15 second e... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow ScottLThomas

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Upper Tahquamenon Falls, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is yellow from the copper ore in the ground. In the fall it is simply spectacular. This 15 second e...
Read more

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Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.