smpecjak

Enchantment

South Chagrin Reservation of the Cleveland Metro Park system. Squaw Rock Falls are just one of the smaller falls, along the Chagrin River, that reside within t...
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South Chagrin Reservation of the Cleveland Metro Park system. Squaw Rock Falls are just one of the smaller falls, along the Chagrin River, that reside within the Cleveland Metro Park System.
This is probably one of my favorite locations to shoot and explore mainly because these falls always seem to change. The change is due to the constant erosion of the Sandstone and Shale rock that form these falls.
There is a calming effect associated with watching the river flow over this Sandstone. I was trying to capture that feeling with this picture.

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NIKON D3X

Aperture 20/1 ISO 100 Shutter 3/1 Focal Length 35/1

upload_date

Aug, 2016

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Outstanding Creativity

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There are five different waterfalls, along this section of the Chagrin River, as it flows through the South Chagrin Reservation of the Cleveland Metro

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Deerlick Creek as it flows through the Bedford Reservation in Bedford, Ohio.

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken in the South Chagrin Reservation of the Cleveland Metro Park System. I was standing on one of several smaller waterfalls, that exist in this area, along the Chagrin River. This particular waterfall is near the Squaw Rock Picnic area.

Time

Right at sunrise. The suns rays were just starting to lighten the gorge.

Lighting

This is all natural lighting.

Equipment

For this photo I was using a Nikon D3X and 16 - 35mm F/4 lens. I have an Induro AT413 Tripod and matching Induro BHD3 head. It's a really heavy rig to be hiking through the woods with, but I enjoy the sturdiness it provides. Especially when shooting in fast moving water. Since the light was still fairly dim, I removed my polarizer and installed a clear UV-Filter to protect the lens.

Inspiration

This is probably my favorite location to shoot because it is always changing. The falls and river bed are layers of Sandstone and Shale. Water flowing over the rock erodes the Shale, which removes support for the Sandstone, causing fairly large pieces of Sandstone to break off (changing the shape of the falls). I'm always trying to take a scene, that hundreds of people see every day, and focus on little details that probably get ignored by most. In this picture I was trying to focus on the shape and patterns that form as the water moves over the Sandstone rock. Specifically as it falls from one layer to the next. This particular set of falls has three separate layers in total.

Editing

This particular picture is a combination of five different photos; each picture was a different shutter speed. I was trying to capture as much detail, in the water, as possible and one frame was not working for me. The five photos were combined on Photomatix; Black and White conversion was through NIK Silver Effects.

In my camera bag

Most of my work is done with my D3X and 16 - 35mm F/4 lens. I also carry a 105mm 2.8 Macro Lens and an old manual 70 - 200mm F/4 AI lens. I have an assortment of B&W and Brreakthrough Photography polarizing and ND filters; all 77mm. For the lens that isn't 77mm I have converters. Besides the screw-in ND filters I also carry some Singh Ray 4 x 6 Graduated ND Filters. Since I am normally shooting in water, I also carry an assortment of microfiber cloths to clean water spray from lens glass.

Feedback

A sturdy tripod is probably the most important item in long exposure photography. Also, invest in a good set of waders so you can get up-close and personal with the river and waterfall! When shooting in dim early morning light, it is probably best to switch your camera to manual and Spot metering. Initially meter off of the brightest spot in your frame to set your aperture and shutter speed. Unfortunately, I do not think there is a magic number for either setting? Everyone is going to have a different idea as to what looks "correct" and they will adjust their shutter speed accordingly.

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Enchantment