The Upper Falls
The power and size of the Upper Falls in Yellowstone National Park can only be understood by locating the onlookers from the overlook at the top....
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The power and size of the Upper Falls in Yellowstone National Park can only be understood by locating the onlookers from the overlook at the top.
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Oct, 2018Views
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Awards
Fall Award 2020
Peer Award
Superb Composition
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Yellowstone National Park from an overlook that was high enough to show the entire falls, the overlook at the top of the falls with onlooking visitors, as well as the pool at the bottom with the river cascading onward.Time
It was mid-afternoon, maybe around 2:00 pm.Lighting
The lighting was very high contrast because the photo was taken in mid-afternoon on a very clear day. Adjustments were made in post processing to bring out details in the shadows.Equipment
My camera is a Canon EOS t6i. I used my 55 - 250mm zoom lens at about 65mm. ISO was 1600 with a shutter speed of 1/4000 sec. and an f stop of 5.6.The shot was taken hand-held leaning over a railing to dodge tree branches blocking the view.Inspiration
I was awestruck by the immensity and power of these falls. I was hoping to capture some of that in the photo. Of course, a photograph can't convey the roaring sound nor the fine spray of water hitting your face.Editing
My post-processing amounted to very minor cropping and adjustments to the shadows to bring out more detail.In my camera bag
My Canon EOS t6i is my only camera, so I always have that in my bag. In addition, I usually carry the 55 - 250mm zoom and the 18 - 55mm wide angle zoom that came with the camera. In addition, when needed, I have a 90mm Tamron macro lens and Tamron's 200 - 500mm zoom for wildlife. I carry a monopod which I use with the big zoom to help stabilize it. I also have a neutral density and a polarizer filter.Feedback
Take the picture, even through the light might not be perfect. For shots like this, which are iconic and photographed a lot, the important thing is to make sure it's perfectly focused. Even though it is popular to use long shutter speeds to smooth out moving water, I chose to stop the motion with a short shutter speed and waited for a very big splash of water into the pool to try to capture the power of the water.
