JimmyCreekFalls,NY_©DaveSpier_D078794a1
(East) Jimmy Creek Falls and swirling plunge pool in a long exposure, located off Route 8 south of the former Hamlet of Griffin, in the Town of Wells, Hamilton ...
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(East) Jimmy Creek Falls and swirling plunge pool in a long exposure, located off Route 8 south of the former Hamlet of Griffin, in the Town of Wells, Hamilton County, in northern NY's Adirondack Mountains, before it joins the East Branch of the Sacandaga River... Canon full-frame 5D with EF 17-40mm f-4L at 22mm, exp. 10 sec., f-13 at ISO 100 - [12 MP original, uncropped], corrected for white balance due to green light filtering thru the forest canopy
ref. # D078794, taken Sept. 21
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ref. # D078794, taken Sept. 21
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Sep, 2013Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
East Jimmy Creek is a tributary of the Sacandaga River's East Branch in northern New York's Adirondack Mountains. The falls is a short hike uphill from Route 8 not far from its junction with Route 30 which connects Speculator and Wells, NY. There are two Jimmy Creeks in the Adirondacks, both marked simply "Jimmy Creek" on the map, so I unofficially call this one East Jimmy Creek.Time
This was taken at 10:51 am on September 21st.Lighting
The light was generally cloudy, my preferred condition for working scenics in the woods. Otherwise, the contrast is too harsh, unless you like to spend time working in HDR afterwards, which I don't. My philosophy is more time outdoors, less time at the computer. My default white balance is Cloudy because I prefer warmer tones over cooler tones. That said, I shoot in RAW because it's easy to change the color balance later or adjust the White Point. Always check your histogram after a shot and bracket your exposures.Equipment
I used a full-frame Canon 5D with an EF 17-40mm f/4L wideangle at 22mm, all mounted on a sturdy Manfrotto tripod. I sometimes use a remote cable release, but this time I simply used the short (2 sec.) self-timer with mirror lock-up. I didn't record it, but I likely used a polarizer to reduce reflections off the plunge pool.Inspiration
I'm a general naturalist and outdoor photographer, so I shoot whatever catches my attention. Donna is more interested in geology and hiking, so we tend to look for waterfalls in forest settings. Some situations lend themselves to good compositions, some don't and I don't always know ahead how it will turn out till I see it on the computer. Apparently this one worked. I prefer high depth of field, so I work at smaller apertures, although this one was f/13 and not my usual f/22. My default scenic ISO is 100 for less noise, so that usually requires longer exposures mandating a sturdy tripod.Editing
I generally do very little post processing other than tweaking the contrast and exposure to adjust the histogram, plus some sharpening and maybe bump up the saturation a notch or so. I do have HDR software, but didn't need it here.In my camera bag
Depending on my anticipated goals, I generally carry two bodies, my full-frame 5D with a wideangle for scenics and my 18 mp T2i with a Canon 300mm f/4L and Canon 1.4X extender mounted on a gunstock with a shoulder strap for birds and wildlife that I might encounter, plus I carry a Canon 100mm macro lens for flowers and small "wildlife." Donna carries a Canon T3i with Canon EF 18-200mm which I've been known to "borrow" as needed. If we're not too far from the truck, I can grab my 600mm f4L on a heavier tripod, although I mostly use that lens right from the truck by rolling the window down and resting it on the window sill without any pod. The 600 is a variable-weight lens; the farther I carry it, the heavier it gets...! For longer hikes I carry a lighter Giottos pro carbon-fiber tripod. A large ice chest in my truck tends to be my "bag." It reduces temperature swings. As needed I remove equipment; smaller items are added to a three-pocket belt pack, worn with the large center pouch in the front and two smaller pockets on the sides. It always contains a first aid kit, compass, small flashlight, extension tubes, polarizer filter, spare camera batteries and memory cards, a light-weight plastic poncho, a dark trash bag (to be used as a ground-cloth, rain cover, or to cast shadows into close-up backgrounds), etc. I also have a Canon 65mm 1:5X super-macro for tiny subjects and a number of intermediate range zooms for general use, but I seldom carry them on hikes. We also leave several older camera bodies in the truck for emergency backup.Feedback
Use a tripod, the more rigid the better. Experiment with anything that can be varied, including focal length, exposure combinations, time of day, white balance, lighting angles, composition angles (high, low, left, right, etc.)... and follow the results that appeal to you to create your own personal style. Study the work of other photographers wherever you can find it. What appeals to you? How did they take photos you like? What lens did they use? If it's not listed, try to figure it out from the results based on content, composition and depth of field. What lighting did they use? What time of day if it's outside? What's the weather? What are the compositional elements? For open-country scenics I prefer the warmer tones of early-morning or late-afternoon light, but that's less relevant on cloudy days or working in shady forests or deep glens. It doesn't apply to this photo, but when the scene brightness varies a lot from top to bottom (for example bright sky and dark land), you can use HDR software with bracketed exposures, but in the past I've also used an old printing technique called dodging. Working at dawn for example, I use the lowest ISO, smallest aperture and a polarizer with a long exposure and actually drop a black card down from top to bottom in front of the camera to balance the exposure. Review the result and adjust accordingly. This simulates the effect of a graduated neutral density filter. The difference is that you can cut the black card to match the shape of the horizon.
