Metlako
I waited here for several hours for the fog to break. I could hear it and envision it, but couldn't see it through the thick fog! When the waterfall finally e...
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I waited here for several hours for the fog to break. I could hear it and envision it, but couldn't see it through the thick fog! When the waterfall finally emerged, I still had to wait about an hour for the shot to be less than a hazy silhouette. Eagle creek is a very beautiful trail, anyone mildly interested with the opportunity should definitely not miss this one! I have never made tunnel falls because there is so much beauty to distract me before I make it that far!
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Jan, 2015Views
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scottcarpenter
January 28, 2015
I have already responded in message, but if anyone else is interested this is in the Columbia River Gorge near Portland Oregon. Thank you Dlos!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo from the Metlako Falls viewpoint on the Eagle Creek Trail in the Columbia Gorge. This trailhead is only accessible on east bound I-84 about a mile east of the Bonneville Dam exit, 40 minutes east of Portland. The Metlako viewpoint is about 2.5 miles from the trailhead.Time
I started this hike at about 5:30 AM. I hiked to this viewpoint by 6:45 and was disappointed by a wall of fog. I continued to Punchbowl Falls, but nothing was extraordinary at Punchbowl, so I hiked back. The viewpoint was still fogged in. I had some time to burn this day, so I sat down and waited to see what happened as the sun baked away the fog. After about an hour I could begin to see the silhouette of the fall in the background. I started taking test shots as the fog lifted and finally had a shot worth keeping. I took this shot with the 11:00 sun high in the air, and the fog dissipated to a point that it was a part of the composition as well as the scenery.Lighting
I usually photograph in the indirect blue and gold lights of sunrise and sunset. I found the direct light of this photograph interesting because it provide a silhouette to the trees in the foreground and illuminated the moss growing on the branches, an effect that gives this photograph an eerie mood and what I thought to be an interesting composition.Equipment
I used my Canon 5D Mark ii with my old Canon 28-70 f2.8 lens at the long end. The photo was taken at f16 with a .6 second exposure at an iso setting of 100. I set up on my old and heavy Gitzo Reporter tripod and my Photo Clam ball head.Inspiration
I was inspired to take this photo because it is one of the most beautiful viewpoints in the Gorge. I have photographed here many times, and I got up and left early to both avoid the crowds and hopefully catch some fog to help construct the scene. Little did I know I could have slept in....Editing
I converted this to black and white in the stock canon software, applied a red filter to help bring out the highlights, and bumped the highlights a bit to add some additional contrast and achieve the white of the fall against the blacks of the shadows.In my camera bag
I always carry my 5D mark ii, a 17-40mm Canon lens, the 28-70 Canon lens, and a canon EF70-300mm lens along with my tripod. I think the most important thing that I always carry is a flashlight. A day out can be ruined by a hard fall because you couldn't see your way out, and no matter how hard I try, I can never seem to get back to my car before the sun sets.Feedback
Be patient. I talked to a photographer one time who proudly told me that she spends her time "chasing the light". I think that a more important philosophy should be "waiting for the light". If you keep chasing the light, when you finally catch it you might not be in a place that will provide a spectacular image. If you find a location, find the angle you want to capture, and spend a lot a time at that one place, eventually the light will find you.
