Crackpot Falls
A very pretty and secluded waterfall in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, taken with long exposure, under the tree canopy, sheltered from the rain....
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A very pretty and secluded waterfall in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, taken with long exposure, under the tree canopy, sheltered from the rain.
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Oct, 2019Views
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Awards
2020 Choice Award
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Peer Award
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Behind The Lens
Location
This shot was taken on location at a secluded spot in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, it was late spring, pouring with rain, sheltered by the tree canopy.Time
This was taken early in the morning, around 7am, having to wait for the light to reach into the dale. It was pouring with rain, but there was enough of a tree canopy to provide shelter and keep my equipment dry. The cloudy conditions meant that the greens really show in the image and the image would not have too many highlights. Knowing the location and matching the subject to the conditions was important for this to be a successful shot.Lighting
This was taken in natural light, no added flash or fill flash needed.Equipment
This was shot on a Nikon D3X, with the f2.8 24-70mm lens, tripod, remote release and an ND4 filter, aperture f11.Inspiration
I was shooting with a group of friends who knew the area, and thought that there would be a good opportunity for a waterfall shot and that there would be enough shelter from the rain. This was an image of the main fall, and whilst not flowing at full capacity, I wanted to smooth the water and capture it falling into the pool below. I was taken with the verdant greens of the leaves on the trees.Editing
Having taken the picture in the RAW format, I had plenty of scope to work on the resulting image. First of all, I needed to correct the blue colour cast of the neutral density filter, by desaturating and reducing the luminance on the blue colour sliders. I then usually boost contrast and then correct highlights and shadows using curves. I also needed to adjust the green colour channel, trying to recreate the scene that I had witnessed. I do very little sharpening as most modern cameras and top-end lenses produce very sharp images.In my camera bag
I have moved on from my Nikon D3X to a Nikon Z7, as there is simply less weight to carry. I have an F-mount adapter, so all my lenses are still compatible. My f2.8 Nikon 24-70mm is my workhorse lens, together with my Nikon f2.8 105mm macro lens. I also have a Sigma f2.8 70-200mm lens to cover all eventualities, and sometimes take my “nifty fifty” f1.8 lens too. A remote release and tripod are also essential, but I would always recommend as a minimum a set of graduated neutral density filters and a circular polariser. For a shot like this, I also have a set of neutral density filters, used to obtain long exposures.Feedback
Swaledale has plenty to offer landscape photographers, from waterfalls and grand vistas, to a wonderful array of wild flowers for the macro specialist. Of course, there are also plenty of stone barns and dry stone walls for leading lines. You do have to wait for the sun to get into the dale, and even in summer, the weather can suddenly change. Be prepared to do some walking and be prepared to wait for the right light. Places like Crackpot do offer shelter from rain when leaves are are out. The weather conditions can change very quickly and also can be very localised, so keep an eye on the forecast.
