Cedar Falls
Cedar Falls in Hocking Hills Ohio. This is a very popular tourist attraction in Ohio.
Cedar Falls in Hocking Hills Ohio. This is a very popular tourist attraction in Ohio.
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Mar, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This is Cedar Falls in Hocking Hills Ohio. A well established state park.Time
I took this during a day trip to Hocking Hills and this photo was taken at about 2pm.Lighting
Since it was overcast and raining off and on the conditions where perfect for a waterfall photo. The overcast skies give a nice soft light and allow for a longer shutter speed to smooth out the water.Equipment
Nikon D200 with a Tokina 12-24mm lens at 19mm @ f/22, 3.0 sec. and a circular polarizer. Mounted on a Manfrorto tripod.Inspiration
I've always loved waterfalls and Hocking Hills is a familiar destination for me with it's many beautiful waterfalls and scenery. On this particular day we had the area pretty much to ourselves since it was a rainy day. With all the rain over night and during our visit the waterfalls where running almost at their peak flow which is rare to see.Editing
Yes, I use Photoshop CS6 and I also use a third party software program called onOne Perfect Effects.In my camera bag
Currently I have a Nikon D7100 body, Tokina 12-24, Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 and circular polarizer filters. I always bring spare batteries and memory cards along with lens care accessories.Feedback
I think the smooth water makes for a beautiful waterfall photo that shows the flow and movement of the water. To get a photo like this with the smooth water you need several things. A sturdy tripod to prevent any movement while the longer exposure is being captured. A wide angle lens to capture the whole scene. Circular polarizer filter to reduce glare on the water and enhance colors. They also act as a neutral density filter and cut the light by one to one and a half stops which helps to slow the shutter speed down. In certain situations you may need a neutral density filter to achieve a slow shutter speed in bright daylight scenes. I like to use aperture priority mode with a small aperture from anywhere to f/8 to f/22 to get the shutter speed down to 1 second to 3 seconds. The small aperture will also give you a large depth of field giving you sharp focus from the front of the scene to the back of the scene. You want to either use a remote shutter release or the self timer to prevent camera movement from you pressing the shutter button down. Lastly you want to try to compose an interesting composition by including some foreground interest. In this photo I used the rocks in the stream and set up pretty low to the ground. I placed the waterfall to the left and slightly high to show the flow of the water as it came towards the camera from the waterfall. Timing is also important for waterfalls. Plan your visit when it has rained recently so you have good flow and if possible go on an overcast day or go very early to avoid midday light. I also use exposure bracketing and will take 3 exposures 2 stops apart for HDR, high dynamic range. I then combine the three exposures into one photo with a program called Photomatix which blends the exposures giving you a much wider dynamic range then you can achieve with a single exposure. From there I take it into Photoshop CS6 and process it. I also like to use a third party plugin program called onOne Perfect Effects for finishing touches. The result I hope to achieve is a natural looking scene with rich colors, good contrast and dynamic range and of course the smooth water look which I love.
