A World of Yellow in Fall
Mar, 2016Views
3795
Likes
Awards
Contest Finalist in The Beauty Of Fall Photo Contest 2018
Contest Finalist in Fields and Forests Photo Contest
Featured
Contest Finalist in A World Of Yellow Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
Virtuoso
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 2Top 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken in Stokes State Forest, in Western New Jersey, USA.Time
Across from this scene is "Buttermilk Falls" which is one of the most elegant waterfalls in all of New Jersey, but, alas, it was a very dry week and the flow on the falls was less than stellar. Oddly enough, I looked behind me and saw all the trees in the midst of turning and shedding and thought, "now that's a shot." This was probably taken mid-morning or early afternoon. Why that isn't a problem in this area is because Buttermilk Falls which is behind me here is on the face of a 200-300foot canyon wall which blocks the sunlight well past sunrise and into midday creating a nice soft look even with harsh sunlight elsewhere at the same time.Lighting
The harsh sunlight was luckily blocked by the cliff/mountain behind me, so it provided me with a nice and soft, evenly diffused lit scene; I've been to this same spot dozens of times, and later on in the day the same does not hold true, but I can just tell from looking at this that it was taken when I and all the trees you see here were in the shadow of the mountain. I did have to employ using a longer exposure at this point, always opting to use the lowest ISO possible.Equipment
I used my Canon 5D MarkII with a 24-70mm Lens on my monster Manfrotto Tripod I use for extra support in windy, wet, and otherwise precarious places, but in the end it was not needed here.Inspiration
Simply the color, I probably could not have painted this scene (in the context of color) better than I was able to photograph it. The small winding stream draws your eye further into the scene. There was also the urge in me to not go home that day empty handed because the waterfall was only a trickle and nothing special to shoot. I stood there for a few moments, metered the scene and went to work knowing that at the very least this would be a nice addition to my fall leaves collection; when in reality, it stands out amongst the rest for certain.Editing
Actually no, I believe this is, despite some basic color correcting, the way the scene looked to the naked eye and from the camera. I may have employed some soft focus filtering but it was a while ago and can not remember off hand. I do enjoy working in Photoshop on most photos but once in a while you get a photo that makes you realize "less is more."In my camera bag
These days I have a Canon 5DSR, 3 lenses, 24-70mm 2.8, 70-200mm 2.8, 85mm 1.2, a cam ranger with Ipad, Promote Control, Vello Wireless Control, an assortment of filters, Lee Big Stopper, Singh-Ray Color Combo filter, Uv Filters on all lenses for protection most of all, my Sekonic Light Meter and not much else. After hiking for thousands of miles in my life and each time realizing even a few ounces can make a difference in the energy you expend getting to your destination, I like to travel as light as possible.Feedback
The lesson here was, for me at least, don't just give up without exploring the scene a bit, just because the waterfalls I came here to shoot (behind me out of frame) were a dud, didn't mean I should go home empty handed. Photographically speaking, sometimes the main attraction can be pale in comparison to the journey leading to it.
