Gently Flows the River
Water cascades down the river as sunset touches the far shore
Water cascades down the river as sunset touches the far shore
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May, 2021Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. I consider myself a professional hobbyist since I have sold a few photos, but generally, shoot images for myself and my friends. I am fascinated by running water as it ripples over the cascades in the GSMNPTime
This photo was taken as the sun was setting so the light was still hitting the trees and some undergrowth but the river was starting to become shadowed. The slower shutter speed captured the silkiness of the water as it moved over the boulders.Lighting
I liked the light this evening because the sun-kissed downed trees at the far edge made it look like the water was rushing to catch up to the last bit of warm sunshine. I actually kept expecting to see a deer or elk come out of the undergrowth on the far side to take an evening drink.Equipment
This was shot on a Canon EOS Rebel T3i which continues to be my "go-to" camera with a Tamron 18-400mm lens. The tripod is a Three-Legged Thing "Travis" which is sturdy enough to provide good support but isn't unbearable to carry around. Shot in TV mode at f/22, 100 ISO.Inspiration
I'm always trying to improve my "silky" photos and I'm always looking for great light. When I get those two things to come together in the Smoky Mountains while listening the murmur of the water over the cascades, my day is made -- it makes it even sweeter when it's sunset light rather than sunrise light :-)Editing
My post-processing workflow uses LR CC for simple tweaks like removing a wayward small branch that was "in the road," warming the sun a tad, and bringing up the shadows to see the details. There was no cropping. I finish up with a brief pass in Topaz Sharpen AI and DeNoise AI.In my camera bag
I always have my Canon Rebel T3i for "everyday shooting" with the Tamron 18-400mm lens along with a Canon Rebel T6i mounted with a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro lens for close-ups. Also in the bag are lens hoods, ND variable filters, and a roll of gaffer's tape. I carry my Travis tripod when I know I'm going to around running water; otherwise Travis waits in the car.Feedback
Practice. Practice. Practice. Especially since COVID, I haven't had my cameras out nearly enough. I've lost a lot of the instinctual settings and fumble more than I want, but retirement is coming and hopefully all that will change. Don't be afraid to experiment. I generally take multiple shots at any given setting because sometimes I'm delightfully surprised at a combination that I didn't think to work -- that said, what I'm bad at doing is recording which settings I use so I can repeat the experience.
