Friday, December 9, 2011

FALLS BRANCH FALLS

Canon EOS Rebel XS, Promaster 19-35 lens @ 19mm, ISO 200, f/14, 0.8sec
  It's been a while since I've posted to my blog. My time is being taken up by basketball games, cheerleading tryouts, family visits, and general everyday family matters. It seems like the only photos I've taken over the last 2-3 weeks has been basketball and cheerleading. Don't get me wrong, that is not a bad thing. I just haven't been able to sit down at the computer and create a blog post from a nature photo.
  I did get out last Sunday with my good friend Tim Owens and take a hike to Falls Branch Falls off of the Cherohala Skyway in the Cherokee National Forest.  The hike down to the falls was very deceptive. It was a gradual downhill trek for about 1.3 of the 1.7 total miles. The last .4 miles or so was a very steep decline to a beautiful cliff waterfall that was just as impressive as any I've seen.
  I was very disappointed in myself, however. I didn't take nearly as many shots as I normally do and didn't climb down the cascades that were downstream from the falls. Don't have any reason why, just seemed like I was in a rut.
  The rut truly multiplied when we started our ascent back up the trail.  That .4 miles that were very steep down hill on the way to the falls were very much up hill leaving the falls. It was like walking up a half mile flight of stairs. I could hardly catch my breath. With the rest of the hike back to the parking area a gradual incline, I just had a terrible time making it. The last 1/4 mile or so my legs decided they didn't want to work anymore either. We did finally make it back, though.
  I will definitely try to make this trek again sometime. There were moss-covered logs, ferns, and just loads of greenery littering the trail all the way and I would love another chance to shoot the waterfall and stream and capture them better.
  Did capture a couple of nice images though. The one in this post is downstream of the main falls, which you can see in the background. I was standing in the stream with my tripod straddling the waterway. Rhododendrons were everywhere and trying to get in the way of my image. Fortunately, they bracketed the frame in the foreground and background with the stream winding around them. Tried to get as low as I could to make a foreground element out of the shelf right in front of me. All in all, I really liked the way this one turned out.

4 comments:

  1. Lovely photo, with a real sense of depth.

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  2. Awesome image Jerry. Great POV, and DOF! I feel like I'm there. In fact I would love to be there. Such a fantastic place to do nature photography!

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  3. Beyond incredible Jerry, what a gorgeous image. Love the contrast of the power of the rushing water against the still backdrop of the surrounding nature. Most excellent, kind sir!

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