Waterfall at Kelly's Falls
Feb, 2016Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in the Kelly's Falls recreational area which is towards the southern end of the Royal National Park south of Sydney. To find this waterfall I had to venture up stream from where the creek crosses the marked path. It was only about 50 meters off the path but you can't see it unless you go looking for it.Time
I had been out taking a bush walk with my family which we often do from mid morning after which we will take a late lunch. On this day this was our second walk and it was close to the middle of the day.Lighting
As I mentioned earlier, it was close to the middle of the day, but as this is a rainforest area, there was plenty of canopy to filter the light. All of the foreground was lit with a soft dappled light however, there was a break in the canopy above the waterfall that was letting harsh glaring light in.Equipment
This was shot with a Canon 6D camera, a Canon 24-70 2.8 II, a Manfrotto Bee Free tripod and a Lee Linear Polariser.Inspiration
I always carry my equipment when I go on walks with the family, and this is a perfect example of the reason why. You never know when your going to come upon a beautiful scene. I took this because I'm passionate about scenes with water and this waterfall had a truly tranquil quality about it.Editing
This shot received more processing than I normally give an image. The reasoning is that I shot this deliberately to stack for exposure as well as focus. I had 2 bracketed images with a close focus point and 2 with a far focus point. I stacked them in Photoshop then did some slight colour correction,contrast adjustment, dodge an burn and added a vignette.In my camera bag
I only have limited kit and I usually have all of it with me. My camera body is a Canon 6D. My lenses are Canon 24-70 f2.8II & 70-200 f2.8 II. I have a Manfrotto tripod, a cable release and my filters are Lee linear polariser, 2 stop grad filter and a big stopper.Feedback
My advice is to always be prepared. Rainforest shoots can involve a lot of walking. Carry gear your willing to carry all day. Keep your eyes peeled for opportunities and don't be afraid to experiment. I took about 30 shots of this waterfall with many viewpoints and shutter speeds until I found what I was after. If your able to shoot early or late in the day then you should as you will have much more manageable light and colours will be richer.
