Torc Waterfall
At Killarney National Park.
At Killarney National Park.
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Dec, 2016Views
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Awards
Zenith Award
Fall Award 2020
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
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ScenebytheRoad
February 28, 2017
Amazing shot very be a utiful. Welcome to VB. If you love waterfalls check out the w a terfalls a lbum in my gallery.
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at the beautiful Torc Waterfall, Killarney National Park, Ireland. This is a popular spot because of its easy access to the famous Ring of Kerry driving route.Time
This trip to Ireland was in the accompaniment of my wife, our daughter, and her new husband, so the standard golden hour shots just weren't possible. It was all I could do to get everybody out of bed, fed, and in the car by 9 or 10 am. Fortunately, late May in Ireland includes allot of weather, clouds, and interesting lighting situations. By the time we arrived at Torc Waterfall around 10:20 in the morning, some of the early clouds had burned off and the sun was just starting to break on the leaves and water.Lighting
Interesting weather almost always helps delivery interesting light. The morning clouds were starting to burn away and the late morning sun was finding holes in the clouds to shine spot lights on the leaves and the water, while also leaving plenty of interesting shadow.Equipment
I shot this with a Nikon D800 paired with my favorite walk-around lens, a NIKKOR 28-300mm f3.5-5.6 with a variable ND filter on the front, all sitting on an FLM carbon fiber tripod and FLM CB-58FT-II ball head.Inspiration
By the time I took this photo, I had already captured the full Torc Waterfall, which was a mass of muti-step and multi-directional drops. This photo is of the upper third of the falls where the light was playing off the water and the leaves in wonderful ways. I was taken by the movement in the bright leaves, paired with the soft flow of water.Editing
In Lightroom, I applied a 4x3 crop to standardize the size for easier printing, then I made a few minor adjustments to exposure and contrast, a larger adjustment to drop the highlights, desaturated the blue & green color channels, and also dropped the luminance of the green color channel. Finally, I dodged and burned a few areas to deepen some of the shadows and brighten some of the highlights.In my camera bag
Unfortunately, I had a very limited kit on this trip because I had to consider packing not just my gear, but all the normal luggage for three other adults. Normally, I carry a rolling Pelican Case with at least four or five lenses (14-24, 24-70, 70-200, 28-300, and either my 200mm or 120mm macro), two bodies, filters, etc. along with a backpack, which I load when I reach a location with specific gear I think I'll need on site.Feedback
Waterfalls are a somewhat unique subject in how they offer a multitude of compositions in many lighting situations. In capturing them, I recommend keeping equipment at hand that let the photographer adjust to specific conditions, including a solid tripod, waders (to actually get in the flow of the water), ND filters to capture water flow, a polarizer to cut glare or pull objects within the water, and a rain cover for the body and lens. Don't be afraid to get wet! The best compositions are rarely captured from the bank or a high view point.
