bradashbrook

Panther Creek Falls

Beautiful falls in Southern Washington near the Columbia River Gorge.

Beautiful falls in Southern Washington near the Columbia River Gorge.
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SONY ILCE-7M2

settings

Aperture f/16 ISO 100 Shutter 1/6 Focal Length 160/10

upload_date

Nov, 2015

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104

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Behind The Lens

Location

This was photograph of Panther Creek Falls was photographed in Skamania County in southern Washington. I had no idea these falls existed until another photographer I met the previous day strongly recommend I make the drive.

Time

This was shot around 12:30 in the afternoon, not the most ideal time to photograph waterfalls. Fortunately there was intermittent cloud cover was able to capture the image while the light was not as harsh.

Lighting

The lighting was pretty harsh most of the day but some intermittent clouds really helped. I had to wait a little while waiting for the clouds to cover up the sun.

Equipment

I used a Sony a7II and Sony FE 16-35 f4 lens on a Gitzo tripod with a Markins ballhead.

Inspiration

While photographing the upper section I ran into a couple of other photographers. One of them knew of a trail that lead down to the next ridge of the waterfall. It wasn't the easiest trek down the hillside but we took our time and helped each other out. The bottom view of the waterfall was absolutely magnificent. I shot this with multiple lens and including a sweeping panorama which shows and extended view of the runoff down the river.

Editing

I primarily use Capture One Pro 9 because I feel it is one of the best raw processors on the market. I wanted to keep it very natural looking and not over processed. I was able to simply use the controls within Capture One to easily process this file.

In my camera bag

When I am shooting landscapes, I my primary body is the Sony a7II and I carry several lenses with me on most trips. The 2 lenses I use the most are the Sony FE 24-70 f4 and Sony FE 16-35 f4. I also carry a Rokinon 14mm f2.8, Sony FE 70-200 f4 and a backup body, Sony a6300. In addition to the Gitzo and Markins ballhead, I carry a Formatt Hitech filter holder with a 3 & 6 stop ND. I use TriggerTrap which connects to my iPhone for a cable release and several extra batteries.

Feedback

Honestly, I got lucky with the intermittent clouds because when shooting waterfalls, harsh lighting can ruin the scene. I typically use PhotoPils to pre-plan my trips and try to be there when the lighting is the best. Waterfalls are usually best in the morning or late afternoon or almost anytime if the skies are overcast and cloudy. This particular waterfall was not very well marked at all and if wasn't for another photographer sharing its position, I probably would not have found it. While shooting the lower falls, I slipped and got wet so good clothing that dries quickly is very handy. Another thing that really helped was a good pair of hiking boots because the trek up and down wasn't easy.

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bradashbrook

bradashbrook

Panther Creek Falls

Beautiful falls in Southern Washington near the Columbia River Gorge.

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow bradashbrook

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