Falls River #2
Falls River, Rocky Mountain National Park
Falls River, Rocky Mountain National Park
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Jul, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo of Falls River on a back trail in Rocky Mountain National Park. I’m a self taught photographer and this was one of my first extended wilderness trips to really put the skills I’d played with at home, to the test.Time
This was taken midday, in late May. The elevations of Rocky really make it look like it’s still the dreary deadness of winter. In person, it is anything but, particularly at midday. If I had visited the same location first thing in the morning, the power of the water would have been much less impressive as the runoff decreases as the temperature drops below freezing at night.Lighting
This photo brings back an identical image of the light quality, seen with my naked eye that day. As my focus was on catching the splendor of the spring torrent, I wanted to ensure nothing else was changed. This was a little bit of a feat for a newbie without a tripod.Equipment
I used a Canon EOS Rebel 5 and a canon 75-300mm lens sporting uv and clr filters. I didn’t, and somehow still don’t, own a tripod so I’d like to include my knees and elbows and a few rocks that volunteered themselves on behalf of my physical stability.Inspiration
I have always loved water. Everything about it. I love boating, kayaking, swimming, scuba diving, you name it. If there’s water, it’s calling my name. Usually I’d be a little too gung-ho to let my body enjoy the water too, but at a temp of 35 degrees and air temp of roughly 42, miles from dry clothes, I decided to just stick to capturing its beauty that day.Editing
Not one bit. This was one of my earliest photos and I didn’t have a clue on how to alter anything. The only processing I new how to do was preprocessing, patience and more preprocessing until I got it right. I’ve always preferred to get the shot with the camera and leave it alone. I do now, occasionally dabble with post processing as an artistic and creative process, but never to “fix” my photos (excluding the black eye my son had at his first birthday after losing a battle with the table.).In my camera bag
Depends. Most of the time, when I am out shooting, I can’t lug a lot with me so it’s usually just my camera a lens or two that I feel is going to suit the day a couple extra batteries and sd card in my pocket and maybe a good cloth if I remember. I prefer to travel light and work with what I have.Feedback
If you’re looking to capture some great shots of flowing water, you’ll get the best water volume if you go mid to late spring when snow is melting and running into the streams and even more spectacular if you’re able to catch it after a couple of days of light rain. Be patient!!! Especially if you chose not to use a tripod-not entirely recommended unless you like repeatedly holding your breath. You will need a long exposure to attain a shot detailing the silkiness of the water. The longer the exposure, the smoother the water will be.
