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AlyBone

Devil's Punchbowl-1555

Canon EOS 5DS R

settings

Aperture f/14 ISO 640 Shutter 1/200 Focal Length 80/1

upload_date

Jan, 2016

Views

484

Likes

+50

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Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

The sun breaking through the clouds during a heavy storm created this dramatic image.

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My first attempt at focus stacking with two rose flowers from the garden and a 'black box' made by my husband.

Sunset from Greymouth looking towards Mount Cook.

A three legged Katydid which I placed on my black glass dining table for this shot. It lived in my garden and grew to adulthood apparently unhindered

Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo at the Devil's Punchbowl at Arthur's Pass in New Zealand's South Island. It is a steep climb up many steps to get to the viewing platform, but well worth the effort. There had been heavy rain so the fall was thundering well.

Time

The photo was taken just after mid day in spring. The fall is at the top of a deep gorge and is in the shade for much of the day.

Lighting

The lighting was from the sun just above the mountain to the left of the waterfall, shining down on the water but leaving the foreground trees in the shade. I have returned on other occasions and got very different, dark almost sinister shots due to the limited reach of the sun.

Equipment

This was shot using a Canon EOS 5DSR and a EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens.

Inspiration

I had heard about the waterfall and seen it from a distance. Myself and a fellow enthusiast were out on a photo expedition to the Arthur's pass area, which is about 1 hour drive from our homes on the West Coast. We had already done a considerable amount of walking earlier in the day with our camera gear and I have to say that the sight of all the steps was daunting, particularly after the lunch of pies and cake we had just consumed! . We were not to be deterred though, and encouraged by the sound of thundering water promising a good display we arrived, somewhat breathless, at the viewing platform. The sight of the tree perfectly positioned in front of the fall made the walk worthwhile and I wandered around, taking in the view from different angles while my body recovered enough to avoid excessive camera shake. I decided to take as many shots as I could (over 60), both long exposures using black glass and shorter ones to maximise the chances of getting a good shot. I was so inspired that I returned the following week, at a different time of day and after no rain to take quite different shots. It has now become a favourite spot, and I can do more planning beforehand.

Editing

I use Adobe Lightroom for my post processing. I raised the shadows by 52 as the bottom left was in deep shade. I also applied Dehaze and Clarity to help define the movement in the water. Finally I tweaked the vibrance and saturation to counter the darkening effect that Dehaze can cause.

In my camera bag

I almost always have more than I need. On this occasion I was carrying most of my kit. I use a Canon EOS 5DSR, though I also carry a Canon EOS 6D as a backup. My go to lens is the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens. I never go without my Nisi ND1000 black glass, it has opened up so many more options on trips, particularly with so much water in the local landscape. I also carry Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, EF 16-35mm f4L IS USM. A canon EF 8-15 f/4L Fisheye and an EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L also make the bag on occasions. I also carry at least 2 spare fully charged batteries, spare card, cleaning cloths and a remote shutter release. I use a Gitzo carbon tripod with a ball head.

Feedback

It is often tempting to use long exposures for waterfalls, this one however had majesty and impact in the texture of the water crashing down over 100ft so a better result was a faster shutter speed to capture that. This image was at 1/200 and f/14. I had images up to 1/400 but this was the one I was most pleased with. Protect your lens between shots and dry if necessary, big waterfalls produce a lot of water spray. We are no longer constrained by film rolls so take more shots using different settings, carry a spare card. Take your time and explore different viewpoints, watch what the light is doing, you can get very different shots even in the space of 15 minutes. Take a friend, if they are a photographer you can discuss options, if not they can help carry your gear! If you find a great venue make a note of surroundings and consider what it may be like in different seasons, weather conditions or times of day. Above all love what you do and enjoy the whole exciting process from anticipation to realisation.

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AlyBone

Devil's Punchbowl-1555

Behind The Lens

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