Sequoia Waterfall
Oct, 2013Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I was itching to capture a great waterfall photo for my portfolio and heard there is a 100ft waterfall in Sequoia National Park. So I packed up my car and off I went. I spent all day hiking for the waterfall to be dried up! Disappointed and a bit discouraged I headed back to my camp site.Time
My last day of camping and I decided to hit the Crystal Caves tour that Sequoia offers. After the tour I was heading back to my car when I saw a not so beaten path and followed it. Lo and behold here was my waterfall shot! It was around noon and the sun was shining through the trees oh so perfectly.Lighting
The gods were truly smiling down on me for this shot. I was so lucky with the light that I didn't need to do much. This image was shot with an iso rating 640 and f-stop of 22.Equipment
I was a completely new photographer at that point and had little to no equipment. I was borrowing my friends Nikon D5100 with her 18-55mm lens. I had no tripod and no flash was needed for the shot.Inspiration
I was trying to strengthen my photography abilities. I had such high hopes for the 100ft waterfall, I almost went straight home after. As a self taught photographer I'm extremely dedicated and knew I couldn't leave just yet. When I accidentally stumbled upon this waterfall I was ecstatic. It was a fairytale waiting to be captured and I was going to be the one to capture it.Editing
At this point I had no idea about RAW images (imagine the possibilities if I did!)So I did a little editing. I really wanted the waterfall the catch the eye, the green in the background overwhelmed the original picture. I tweaked with the exposure a bit and upped the blacks. Viola!In my camera bag
I'm still adding to my collection as photography at the moment has be pushed down to a hobby. I work with a Nikon D3100 (the iso rating was perfect for what I could afford.) I have a 18-55mm Nikon DX lens that I always take with me, your basic lens filters (they're so much fun to play around with), a Nikon 55-200mm lens, and a tripod (thank god!)Feedback
DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED! I came so close to missing out on the shot all because what I originally set out for was not there. With nature shots it's all about how much natural light you can find. I try my hardest to keep flash out of any shot I take in nature. That being said get out as early as possible to get your shot, and don't forget to take the road less traveled!
