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Rapids Above The Falls
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Rapids Above The Falls



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Sunset over the rapids immediately above the American Falls. Taken from Niagara Falls State Park in New York.

Sunset over the rapids immediately above the American Falls. Taken from Niagara Falls State Park in New York.
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upload_dateMar, 2016

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2 Comments |
photoluv Platinum
 
photoluv March 16, 2017
Lovely photo
KristianCyr
 
KristianCyr January 02, 2018
Perfection ????????

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#water #rapids #sunset #sky #clouds
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Behind The Lens

Location

This image was photographed at Niagara Falls State Park in New York in March of this year. The location is a walkway that runs along the rapids towards an overlook of the American Falls. The area is always very active with tourists so finding a spot to set up a tripod can be difficult at times, especially during the summer.

Time

This was one of my first shots of the evening and one of those unexpected opportunities. The time was 7:27 and I was walking towards the overlook to take some long exposure shots of the Falls at sunset. The sun was just at the right angle to give a soft late winter golden glow to everything.

Lighting

Anytime you are shooting landscapes, lighting is key. The color of the water on the Niagara River as it approaches the Falls is a really strong aqua green and early morning or sunset images really bring this out if you are at the right angle. Knowing how the light effects your subject in a natural setting is key to successful images. I'm lucky because I live here so I know how the change in seasons and lighting can create different emotions.

Equipment

This photo was taken with my Nikon D810 and Tamron 14-30 Ultra Wide Angle lens at 30mm. Being a longer exposure I used my Really Right Stuff tripod at it's shortest, sitting on top of a concrete pillar. The camera settings were iso 64, 30mm, f/22, at 0.7sec. I tried different shutter speeds to see how the water looked and this gave just the right amount of motion with too much blur.

Inspiration

Looking at the scene as it came into view I noticed how the light was playing off the clouds, trees, water and rocks. I saw a similarity in the lines of the clouds and the swirl of the water as well. It's not often that you get such complimentary subjects in a landscape, get it while you can.

Editing

I love the flexibility of .raw files. A lot can be done with all of the information stored and Nikon's D810 has a very wide spectrum that it puts in each file. Lightroom was used to adjust all of the levels to bring out the life and color of the image as I remembered it. The image was completed in Photoshop with Nik Color Efex Pro4 "pro contrast" and de-noise filters.

In my camera bag

Well my bag is kind of a changing thing because I shoot a variety of subjects. My trunk looks like a photo studio and the bag changes dependent on where I am and what I think I will see. I use everything from a Sigma 150 macro lens to a Sigma 800mm super-telephoto because I photograph birds and insects along with my landscape work. I have a strong desire to share the entire spectrum of nature when I photograph any location. People don't realize how much is going on around them.

Feedback

a photographer really needs to visualize their finished image as they set up their equipment. Sometimes that comes easy but frequently it takes a few minutes before you commit. In the case of moving water I always recommend taking multiple shots at different shutter speeds. Once you are in the comfort of your home/studio and start looking at the images on your computer screen you will be surprised by the different appearances of the water in motion. If you don't have a variety to choose from you may end up regretting not having one that works for you. I had five to pick from for this one and only one was right.

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