Spruce Flats Falls
Apr, 2016Views
486
Likes
Awards
Legendary Award
Lucky 3 Award
Member Selection Award
Winner in Beautiful Tennessee Photo Challenge
Spring Selection Award
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Peer Award
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
Top Ranks
Top 30 rankTop 20 rank week 2Top 20 rank week 1
Top 30 rankTop 30 rank week 2
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
Spruce Flats Falls near Tremont, TN.Time
This photo was captured in the hours just before sunset.Lighting
I chose not to wait for the golden hour to preserve the cool green color in the leaves as well as the blue highlights in water itself. I made use of my Lee Big Stopper filter to extend the exposure durning the still daylight hours for this shot.Equipment
This photo was taken with my Nikon D600, with a Nikkor 24-85mm f/3.5-5.6 with a Lee Big Stopper 10 stop ND filter. This powerhouse full frame camera and lens combination sat on the rock solid Gitzo Mountaineer tripod with a Sirui ball head.Inspiration
Being a native of East Tennessee I love to get out and photography the beauty of my local area. It is hard to compete with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park being my back yard and I simply wish to share it with those who live in different areas of the country or the world.Editing
For this photo my main post processing was made to correct the unnatural blue cast of the Lee Big Stopper filter. Because the glass is so black it tends to give photos a very blue white balance no matter the lighting conditions durning the shot. In addition I cleaned some of the dust spots from my photo around the bottom corners. I try my best to only edit a photo to enhance readability while maintaining as many original colors as possible. The only color editing other than white balance was to try and bring out the moss on the rocks in the foreground.In my camera bag
When I am going out to shoot landscapes my bag is packed light. It is important to remember to pack for your specific objective. I won't have a need for a 200-400mm f/4 while shooting waterfalls. My bag (when shooting waterfalls/landscapes) includes my Nikon D600, 24-85mm f/3.5-5.6, 70-200 f/2.8, Gitzo mountianeer with Sirui ballhead, and my ND (neutral density) filter set including the Lee Big Stopper as well as a Lee .6 soft graduated filter. For me it is important to pack light for ease of hiking while getting back to the locations I want to shoot, but this may not be the case for other photographers. Pack your bag with a good range of focal lengths and a solid tripod and with planning and luck you will get the shot.Feedback
My advice would be to take the time to plan out your photographic trips. You can have the best equipment on Earth but if you don't plan for what you want to get your chances of getting shots worth printing is slim to none. Take time to look at the weather; is it cloudy, is it sunny, will it rain, has it rained recently? All of those questions will shape the conditions of the waterfall or landscape you are wishing to capture. Plan your gear according to what you know about where you're going. For me I knew that I could get very close to the waterfall so I knew I did not need extended telephoto lenses, but this may not be the case for others who are trying to shoot other areas. Sometimes there is an obstacle that will not allow you to get close to your subject; this is where planning will save you and still allow you to get the shot. In addition to planning having the right gear can make all the difference. My Lee Big Stopper 10 stop ND filter is my most used filter in my bag. The ability to shoot a 45 second exposure at noon is unrivaled. It allows me to achieve the daylight, smooth water look that I like in my photos. That being said, having good quality ND filter will help with the trial and error process most photographers go through when learning long exposure. Filters allow for more room for error since you can shoot while there is still more light in the sky to compose with. All in all, planning and the proper equipment will give you the best possible chance to get the breathtaking images that are right in front of you everyday. Get out and shoot and learn through experience; the road to successful waterfall and landscape photography is paved with the shots you take and will lead to the one shot you love.
