Crescent Falls
Second level (out of 3) of Crescent Falls, Alberta.
Second level (out of 3) of Crescent Falls, Alberta.
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Jun, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
Taken at Crescent Falls, AB. Crescent Falls are a series of two waterfalls located on the Bighorn River in west-central Alberta, Canada. The falls are located a few kilometres upstream of the river's confluence with the North Saskatchewan River. A 4.5 kilometer (3 mi) long trail leads north from David Thompson Highway (between Abraham Lake and Nordegg) to the falls. The Crescent Falls Provincial Recreation Area is established immediately up-river from the falls. The waterfall is two-tiered and has a height of 25 meters (82 ft).Time
2:48 p.m.Lighting
It was a very bright day. The sky was mostly blue which created harsh, contrasting lighting and strong shadows. Certainly not the best time for shooting but, considering the travel distance involved, we (I was with a shooting buddy) did what we could.Equipment
I was using my Sony A100 DSLR, with its kit lens - Sony DT 18-70 (3.5-5.6). A Manfrotto Tripod, remote shutter release and 55mm circular polarizing filter.Inspiration
It is a beautiful setting just as you enter the Rocky Mountains. This was a planned day trip to the falls and to Abraham Lake - the falls source - which was about 30 mins further west. We both wanted to gain more experience shooting HDR images and felt that the falls and lake would be excellent subject matters.Editing
Post-processing was done in Photomatix for all the HDR production followed by Lightroom for any final touches and organization of the files.In my camera bag
At that time, I did not have any other pieces of equipment. The Sony A100 was my first digital SLR. Up until that time, I had not ventured into the world of DSLR's so, in some respects, this was a new venture for me. My previous photographic experience had been with conventional imaging SLR's or point & shoot digital cameras.Feedback
I knew we would be shooting waterfalls I just didn't know how intense or large they would be. It turned out to be a beautiful spot with 3 different levels to shoot - the original river at the top, the second level where this image was taken and the bottom level which, while accessible, we did not venture down to. Surrounding the falls and the canyon are paths with many different observations posts set up. My goal was to try and capture some of the intensity of the falls which means, I had to find a POV that I felt best represented that perspective. Over the course of the next 2-3 hrs, many photographs were taken and in the end, I settled on this one. An outcropping was available which gave me the angle I wanted which - slightly below and almost in the center of the second level. I also wanted a sense of scale so I included the first level of the falls in this compostion. Since this is an HDR image, the post-processing was subject to my preferences with the understanding that such preferences may not be to everyone's liking. The technical elements are as follows: ISO200, focal length 18mm, 3 sequence HDR image with exposure ranges of 2/3 stop between images averaging 1/10 sec for each exposure, F20 (camera set on shutter priority), 55mm circular polarizing filter, tripod and remote shutter release used.
