Waterfall
Waterfall at Cerro Dantas Wildlife Reserve
Waterfall at Cerro Dantas Wildlife Reserve
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Dec, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at Cerro Dantas (Tapir Peak) natural reserve in Heredia, Costa Rica. It's a private reserve known to have the largest concentration of wild tapirs in Costa Rica. It's common to see their tracks everywhere on the trails. The reserve also has several waterfalls and trails which work as buffer zone to the bigger Braulio Carillo National Park. I visit this reserve regularly as it's one of the few reserves in Costa Rica that will allow dogs and my dogs are quite adventurous.Time
Since I regularly go to this reserve I knew that there wouldn't one person anytime before noon so I walked down the trail to the waterfall. I have taken pictures of this fall from several angles, but this time I wanted to try something different, so I went off the trail and went down by the river. When I turned back to see the fall I saw this view and I knew this was the view I had been looking for before. I went into the river, placed my tripod against some sturdy rocks and started composing. The water was very cold but it was worth it. This is a panoramic shot composed of 20 different pictures on different exposures since I knew the cloudy weather is tricky I'd better have different exposures to play with during post-production. The picture was taken exactly at 9:31AM on October 26, 2014.Lighting
The weather around this reserve is usually cloudy and rainy. I took some ND filters with me but I didn't use them this time. The clouds created the perfect mood for the picture I wanted to take this time. The trees around the waterfall helped too, as they covered a lot of the harsh light and allowed me to use a very slow shutter speed. Since I was in the river, one of the challenges on this one was making sure the river current wouldn't move my camera as well as hoping the rain wouldn't become too much to either ruin the shot or force me to leave the spot.Equipment
This one was shot with an old Nikon D300 (never underestimate old bodies), a Nikkor 50mm 1.8D lens, the sharpest lens I had at the time, and Dolica ProLine Tripod.Inspiration
I have visited this waterfall many times. I've shot it many times and I've seen other people pictures of it many times, but they all looked the same. I wanted to have a view no one else had achieved before on this particular waterfall. The trick is that the trail takes people right next to the waterfall making them ignore what's beyond there. I'm not encouraging people to go off the trails and get lost, but as long as it's safe and people know where you are, a little steps off the trail might pay-off.Editing
I definitely did. As I said before, there's a total of 20 different RAW files in different exposures and from different sections of the waterfall. Since I was using a 50mm I knew I wouldn't get wide shots but the sharpness of this lens would allow me to create a very sharp panoramic shot if I did it right both on the field and during post-production. I used PanoramaPro from Photoshop and then applied some enhancements from Lightroom for it.In my camera bag
I'm currently using a Nikon D610 body with a Tokina 100mm Macro 2.8 lens for whenever I go to a forest. It will allow me to have those close-up shots and if I need to do a wide-angle shot, I'll take several and create a panoramic picture later. I also pack a tripod, I still use the Dolica one however it seems it's reaching the end of its life now. When I have more chances to carry more equipment, I'll take the Nikkor 50mm1.8D and a Nikkor 28mm1.4. I still use the D300 body but mostly for street photography as well as a Rokinon 14mm 2.8 which creates some unique angles.Feedback
Patience is of course the key in photography, however, knowing the place is equally important, because without knowing you might be in the wrong spot as it happened to me. It's important to walk around, think about the possibilities in trying to achieve something different and not be afraid of trying. The equipment might get hit or even damaged but the results might be worth it. Hopefully the equipment will survive, but don't make that a limitation for not trying. Everything on the safe side of course. Getting lost or hurt is not fun, so make sure people know where you are and if you are able to have assistance with you, even better. Just make sure the assistants are as patient as you are, otherwise they'll be trying to make you leave quick. Regarding the equipment, get a great tripod and a great lens before a great body. Then get to know the lens, the sweet spot of it and you'll get the best results possible. Lastly, have fun! There's nothing better than looking back to a picture and remembering how good it felt right before you pressed that shutter button.
