switzer falls
May, 2017Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
Switzer Falls in the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles, CATime
late morning, mid dayLighting
this whole area was shaded from the sun due to the high walls and trees, so I went with a longer shutter.Equipment
This was shot on a Sony a6000 with a Sigma 19mm f2.8 prime lens on a Pedco Ultrapod II Mini Tripod. I also utilized a variable ND filter so that I could get the sweet long exposure effect on the waterfall.Inspiration
A couple friends invited me along on this hike with the "end goal" being reaching the falls. I didn't look up anything about it beforehand, but anytime there's a waterfall, I feel like there's a great photo waiting to be taken. Upon arriving at the falls after the hike, I quickly assessed the area and took some handheld pics and realized that I wasn't getting the effect/look that I wanted. So I decided to get as low a POV as possible to get the stones in the foreground and a (relatively) high background, and was able to get a great POV due to my Pedco Ultrapod. Took it one step further once some of the other hikers at the falls left, and threw my ND filter on and got some longer exposures to get the awesome effect on the water. I do wish I had a slightly wider lens, but I'm still more than happy with the results.Editing
I didn't have to do too much post-processing thankfully. I turned down the highlights, brought the shadows up some and played with the contrast/microcontrast a bit until I got the look that I wanted - not really much after that. Looking at it now though, I do wish I brought the brightness up a bit and corrected the white balance slightly.In my camera bag
The first thing I always throw into my bag is my Sony a6000 body - it's my only camera so without it I wouldn't be able to create anything! The two lenses that I'm always sure to have with me are my Zeiss 32mm f1.8, which has amazing sharpness and color from corner to corner; and my Samyang 8mm f2.8 fisheye, which continues to impress me the more I use it in all different types of situations - from nightclubs, to landscapes, to pictures of my friends/family. If I know I'm going somewhere that I can use them, I'll also throw my mini tripod and nd filter + adapter rings into the bag as well. Then on a case-by-case basis I'll bring along my Sigma 19mm and/or this legacy Minolta Rokkor 55mm f1.7 that I adapted to the Sony mounting system.Feedback
Waterfalls provide amazing opportunities to create/capture some beautiful pictures. Don't be afraid to try to find a "different" POV - lower, higher, to the side, whatever. Don't be afraid to move around and devote a short amount of time to getting the exact frame you want. And if possible, use a ND filter so that you can get that silky water effect that comes from a longer shutter - it adds a bit of touch to the photo that I guess can be described as "professional" (for lack of a better word at the moment).
