I wanted to reshoot at the Conversing Hoodoos at sunset, since I was not satisfied with the wide angle images made upon my first shoot here. Today I would use the 24-70mm lens, hoping the zoom range would let me be more discriminating with my compositions.
Daniel accompanied me for this shoot. We arrive early as I prefer to do, giving me time to shoot around the area at anything I see of interest, before moving to the primary subject.
There were many clouds in the sky, definitely adding interest to the sky, but maybe not good for sunset light.
The Clam Hoodoo under cloudy sky. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 31mm, f/16, 1/40s, ISO 64.
The overcast sky with muted light made for good monochrome images. The Clam Hoodoo was just down a canyon/wash from the Conversing Hoodoos, so it was easy to shoot there prior to the sunset light.
Bisti Wilderness and cloudy sky in monochrome. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 31mm, f/16, 1/10s, ISO 64.
In fact I think this turned out to be a really good late afternoon to find monochrome compositions with the many rock shapes and cloudy sky.
A Bisti bird like hoodoo in monochrome. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 48mm, f/16, 1/10s, ISO 64.
This particular hoodoo with the broad flat area and a pointy beak like part reminded me of a bird in flight. Looking closely one can even see an “eye” and a crease for a mouth. The embedded link is to the color version on Flickr.
Bisti Wilderness and Cloudy Sky in Monochrome. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 24mm, f/16, 1/13s, ISO 64.
This is my favorite monochrome image made this afternoon. I like the leading line of the sunlit rocks running diagonally, pointing to the highlighted rocks on the hillside, then the wash leading back to the upper center and the cloudy sky. I think this might even be the best image that I got in this shoot; although, I have not gotten any comments or faves on the posting to Flickr. So maybe readers will tell me if they see faults with this image. I think this image looks really good on my large iMac monitor. Maybe it does not look good viewed on smaller screens?
A rusting bicycle frame in the Bisti Wilderness Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 24mm, f/16, 1/6s, ISO 64.
One never knows what kind of surprise one may find in this wilderness. Why and how is there a bicycle frame here? A totally surprising find.
Bisti Rock Sculpture in Monochrome Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 48mm, f/16, 1/8s, ISO 64. Focus stack of multiple images.
I had previously taken a few iPhone shots of the “modern art like sculpture” in this image, while scouting here. Today I made a number of images of the two foreground rocks with the background hillside then focus stacked them using Helicon software before converting to monochrome.
Conversing Hoodoos and cloudy sunset Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 40mm, f/16, 1/25s, ISO 64.
As I had feared, the clouds on the western horizon prohibited any golden hour light this evening, so I had to make do with mostly silhouette type images of the Conversing Hoodoos with some sunset color on the horizon.
Conversing hoodoos and a cloudy sunset Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 58mm, f/16, 1/20s, ISO 64.An HDR image of the Conversing Hoodoos and a cloudy sunset Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 36mm, f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64.
I made one HDR image from a few of the images to at least get detail in the foreground rocks.
The results of this attempt at sunset shooting here dictates another effort on another day. Such is the life of a landscape photographer.
Our second stop in the 2019 Covered Bridge Festival was at Bridgeton, Indiana. The original covered bridge here was one of several that were set afire by an arsonist. The bridge was rebuilt as a replica of the original.
Bridgeton Covered Bridge. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.The interior of the Bridgeton Covered Bridge. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
The Bridgeton Mill is still in operation. One can purchase a variety of flour products in the mill and see a portion of the dusty flour milling operation.
Bridgeton Mill at the Bridgeton Covered Bridge Festival. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Bridgeton Mill as seen from a window in the Bridgeton Covered Bridge. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Bridgeton Mill as seen from a window in the Bridgeton Covered Bridge. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
There are many vendors of antiques, crafts, clothing, food and beverages available at the festival. We were here on a Sunday afternoon and it was rather crowded. We had lunch here and, of course, had to stand in a line for awhile to get our meal.
As at the Casey County Apple Festival in Liberty, Kentucky, I noted that there were many Trump promotional items, but no corresponding items for the current crop of Democratic Party Presidential candidates.
Vendor goods at the Bridgeton Bridge Festival. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
I’m sure that within the nearby urban area of Indianapolis, one would find a wider variation in political views.
In addition to shopping, one can take a carriage ride, enjoy arts and crafts and listen to local musicians.
Horse Drawn Carriage, Bridgeton, Indiana. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Bridgeton 1878 House at the Bridgeton Covered Bridge Festival. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Dulcimer players at the Bridgeton Covered Bridge Festival. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
The nature of this visit was not conducive to carrying around a large, heavy DSLR; consequently, the images in this post are all made via an iPhone 7 Plus with post processing in editing software.
A subsequent post will have more photographs of some of the interesting items one can see at these type events.
In early to mid-October my wife and I drove to Indianapolis with a dual purpose, visiting her relatives in the area and attending a number of the Covered Bridge Festivals that were taking place at that time of the year.
Please note that all of the images in this post are via an iPhone 7 Plus. Since so many people use their phone cameras exclusively now, I think these images will indicate that it is possible to get good photographs, within limitations, with the cameras in these modern devices. Note that these images have been post processed to improve the aesthetic quality.
Mansfield Roller Mill, Indiana. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
The day after we arrived, one of Barbara’s cousins and her husband drove us around, taking us to two of the bridge festivals, past and through a number of covered bridges, through Brown County State Park, other tourist sites and a visit to their rather large cabin, which they use as a second home and sometime allow others to stay in.
Our first stop was the Mansfield festival, where the historic Mansfield Roller Mill is located. The roller mill is still functional and is now operated as a museum. I enjoyed walking through the mill and seeing the old mill machinery.
A smaller version of a roller mill in the mill museum. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Stair steps in the Mansfield Roller Mill. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
The mill has multiple stories connected via stairwells, but there is also a service elevator for moving goods from floor to floor.
An elevator in the Mansfield Roller Mill. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.An elevator in the Mansfield Roller Mill. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
There are views from the second and third story windows of the creek and old water mill. The original water wheel has been replaced by a water turbine, which offers more technological advantages over the original water wheel.
A view through a window from the Mansfield Roller Mill. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Mansfield Roller Mill Gears and Chutes. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
The cover for a flower dresser has been removed to allow one to see part of the mechanical parts. The aged wood of the flower dresser and other items have a really nice patina.
Flour Dresser. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
There were numerous vendors here, but we spent a limited time browsing, since we wanted to go to one of the other festivals nearby. We did walk through the Mansfield Covered bridge, though.
Mansfield Covered Bridge. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
I am grateful to Barbara’s cousin and her husband for their gracious hospitality and tour of the area. They went much beyond ordinary hospitality.
Subsequent posts will include more on the festivals and area covered bridges.
This is the third and final post of iPhone scouting photographs on the south side of the Bisti Wilderness in New Mexico during my May 2019 visit. Daniel and I continued our exploration of portions of south Bisti in an area with many large hoodoos and interesting rock formations.
Large Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Isolating these features against the blue sky with the clouds makes for good compositions.
Large Wing Hoodoo, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Daniel in a Valley of Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The photo above gives some indication of the massive quantity of hoodoos in this area with Daniel as a scale. The following photos indicate the large variety of rock forms and hoodoos seen in this area.
Many Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Hoodoo Wall, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Eventually erosion will turn this wall of hoodoos into a line of separate hoodoos, but probably not in my lifetime.
Large Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Some of these features look like something one might see in a science fiction movie set on another planet. Maybe it is places like this that stimulate the imagination for such movies.
Many Hoodoo Styles, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.So Many Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Hoodoo Vista, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Hoodoos and Sky, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I like these images looking up at the hoodoos set against the blue sky and clouds. I think these would work well for star trail or Milky Way foreground images and many are in positions to look great in the golden hours of either sunrise or sunset.
Large Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Delicate Balance, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Comparing the image above to that below, one can see how getting low below the hoodoo on the left will yield a nice image of it against the sky. Although, in the image below, I wanted to give an indication of the setting of these features.
Delicate Balance, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Hoodoo Vista, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Wavy Rock, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Even though this is only an iPhone photo at mid-day, I really like the composition of the image above. It would probably look awesome in golden hour light.
Hoodoo Window, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I wanted to get a lower angle shot of the feature above, but I could not get a perspective that showed off the window in the rock very well. I like the shape of this hoodoo and it would be great to isolate it a bit better.
Bisti Arch, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Eventually, Daniel and I began to work our way towards the south parking area, where Daniel had parked his rental vehicle. We passed by the arch seen in these last few images. I had seen this arch on previous visits, but these are difficult to shoot at the best time of the day and there is not much else in the immediate vicinity to make it worth while to be here for golden hour photography, so I really do not have any better photos here other than these iPhone shots.
Bisti Arch, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
However, I think these simple mid-day images are not bad.
Bisti Arch, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
On our way to the parking area, we passed a number of novice visitors on their way into the area. We gave general directions to them to areas we though they might like. It is not uncommon to be asked for directions to “the wings”. I suspect those visitors have seen images of some of the larger wing like features and it is difficult to give directions based upon such generalizations. An older couple (older?, probable younger than me!) were one such ones to ask for directions. Daniel and I noted that they did not even appear to have any water with them. That is really not good, even though it was relatively cool today. Please, if you are going to hike anywhere, be prepared with water and snacks.
Daniel gave me a ride from the south parking area back to my vehicle on the north side. We had lunch and made plans for a sunset shoot. So stay tuned to see how that worked out.
This is a continuation of the mid-day scouting on day 4 of my May 2019 visit to the Bisti Wilderness. Accompanied by Daniel, the Frenchman, whom I had met while shooting sunrise photographs on the north side of Bisti, I made many iPhone photographs for future reference, hoping to return to some locations on some future visit at a better time for photography.
Hoodoo Nook, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
One of the first places we stopped by on the south side was the nook, as I called it, where there is a long petrified log (see the previous post, if you missed this) and other interesting features.
Hoodoo Nook, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Hoodoo Hillside, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
We continued hiking to the east, heading towards other features that Daniel wanted to show me, stopping to shoot reference photos along the way.
Bisti Panorama, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Hawk’s Nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
One of the places, that I had seen referenced in other posts, is a Ferruginous Hawk’s nest. That nest is on the ledge below the topmost portion of the tall rock formation in the photo above. The nest is best seen in this photograph by viewing this image on Flickr and clicking on the Flickr image to see it enlarged. It is also apparent in the zoomed in image below:
Hawk’s Nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Judging by the size of the twigs that make up the nest, those hawks must be fairly large. According to a local Navaho that I spoke with earlier during my visit here, the hawks that built this nest no longer frequent this area.
Daniel & Hawk’s Nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
First Daniel hiked up the steep hillside at the hawk’s nest, then I followed, after getting a few images from below.
Hawk’s Nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Daniel @ Hawk’s Nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
After joining Daniel on the hillside here, I got a shot towards the west from that saddle like area between the two large rock formations at the top of the hillside
A view from hillside below the hawk’s nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
and a close up shot of that rock feature on the northerly end of the hillside.
Bisti Rock Formation, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Continuing towards the northeast, we found another hawk’s nest on the top of a nearby rock formation. That nest is in the top middle of this photo:
Another Hawk’s Nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
From far away, Daniel had pointed out the large rock formation that looked like a Wizard’s hat. I got a number of images of that feature from various view points.
Wizard’s Hat, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Bisti Wizard’s Hat rock formation, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The one above is my favorite. The clouds that seem to be emanating from the “hat” make this look magical.
Bisti Wizard’s Hat rock formation, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I also got some wide area views with the “hat” and nearby the hat.
Bisti and Sky Vista, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
We walked around the nearby area finding many large and interesting hoodoos.
Long Neck Hoodoo, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The hoodoo above reminds me of a giraffe.
Large Bisti Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
There were so many large, interesting hoodoos in this area that it is difficult to convey how impressive this area is.
Slim One, Thick One, Fallen One, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I think that is enough for this post. To be continued,
After breakfast, Daniel and I hiked from the north Bisti parking area to the southern portion of Bisti. Along the way, I made many iPhone scouting photographs for future reference. In fact, I have so many scouting photos from this mid-day outing, that I will break this subject into several separate posts.
Bisti Wings or Flats, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The sky with many clouds adds to the interest in these iPhone photographs. While these images are not intended to be great photography, they will serve to show what one may see in Bisti and give an indication of the type photographs that a mid-day visitor might obtain with a simple point and shoot camera. Please note, though, that these images have been post processed with photo editing software.
Bisti Flat or Wing Hoodoo with hole, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Most, but possibly not all, of these image are posted to Flickr. Clicking on an image with an embedded link will take one to that image on Flickr, where a higher resolution image can more easily be viewed.
Bisti hoodoos on a hillside, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.A passage through tall Bisti Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The hike from the north side to the south side required navigating through badlands, up and down hills, through washes, etc., passing many interesting rock formations. There are no trails in this wilderness and many ways to get from one place to another, so each trip can be a new adventure.
Hoodoo with Window, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Unstable, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.One Remaining of Three, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Hoodoos on wash wall, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Bisti Flat Hoodoo with Window, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Hoodoo Wash, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Assorted Hoodoo Shapes, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I had shown Daniel around the northern area in the morning and now Daniel wanted to show me places he had visited in the southern area on the previous day. I have been to the southern area a number of times, but I had never gotten as far out into it as Daniel, so I was eager to see what he had to show me.
South Bisti Petrified Log, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
This long petrified log may be one of the most photographed ones in Bisti. I had previously obtained GPS coordinates for its location, but until today, I had never gotten to it. The long petrified log had many other interesting features nearby.
South Bisti Scene, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Duck Hoodoo, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Bisti Hikers, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
We saw only a few people on this portion of our hike, but these two are heading back towards the south parking area.
Daniel in the Hoodoo Den, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Petrified Log, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Two other petrified log sections with orange lichen near the longer log are shown in these two images.
Petrified Log & Tall Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Most of these features and petrified logs are within what I called a nook, a somewhat confined area mostly surrounded by hills.
Petrified Log, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The petrified log in the image above looks so real that it could be mistaken for real wood.
On the fourth day of my May 2019 visit to the northern portion of the Bisti Wilderness, I went to a plateau area with large hoodoo features for sunrise photography. It was a cold morning and even though I did not think it was below freezing when I started hiking, my initial attempt to get a sip of water from my Camelbak tube was unsuccessful due to ice in the tube. It might well have been colder out on the slightly higher elevation plateau than back in the parking area.
I shot in the pre-sunrise hour, while waiting for sunrise and testing various compositions.
A large north Bisti hoodoo in pre-sunrise light. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 28mm, 8.0s, f/16, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Since I had plenty of time and the light was changing so slowly, I began to make multiple shots, focusing at different points, so that I could focus stack the images to improve the front to back sharpness.
Early morning on a north Bisti plateau. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm, 2.5s, f/16, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 7 images, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Early morning on a north Bisti plateau. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm, 2s, f/16, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 6 images, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Early morning on a north Bisti plateau. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm, 1s, f/16, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 4 images, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Early morning on a north Bisti plateau. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 27mm, 0.6s, f/16, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 6 images, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I was getting good color in the clouds to the west and it initially looked like there would be good sunrise light, but cloud cover on the eastern horizon quickly limited the golden hour light. One can see that the far features on the horizon here are beginning to get the first rays of sunrise light:
Early morning on a north Bisti plateau. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 38mm, 0.4s, f/16, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 8 images, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
And here there is enough direct light to cast shadows, but the light is still muted:
Early morning on a north Bisti plateau. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 44mm, 1/6s, f/16, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 4 images, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Early morning on a north Bisti plateau. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 44mm, 1/8s, f/16, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Here there is finally a burst of light through the cloud cover:
Early morning on a north Bisti plateau. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 27mm, 1/13s, f/16, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I had to work quickly, when the light came, since I could see that there were limited breaks in the clouds on the eastern horizon.
Early morning on a north Bisti plateau. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 46mm, 1/25s, f/16, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Early morning on a north Bisti plateau. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 56mm, multiple exposures, f/16, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 5 images, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Early morning on a north Bisti plateau. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 24mm, multiple exposures, f/16, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 5 images, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
As usual in the early morning hours, I was alone in the wilderness (I was the only camper in the north parking area), but I did see one couple passing nearby on the plateau. Maybe they had intended to shoot at my location and, seeing me there already, decided to move on somewhere else. As I was finishing my morning shooting, I caught a glimpse of someone standing nearby watching me. My first thought was that the couple that had passed by had returned. Without looking directly at the onlooker, I made a comment about the light disappearing so quickly. Looking up from my camera, the stranger gave me a big smile and we exchanged greetings. His name is Daniel and he was visiting from France, spending four weeks in the southwestern U.S.
Daniel asked if he could tag along with me, since he did not know the area. I was finished with my morning shoot, so I gave him a partial tour of the area, showing him some of the best features that I had found, allowing him as much time as he liked for photography. He was really good at rushing up and down the steep hillsides that were covered with loose, dry clayey soil. I would not even attempt to climb those hillsides, even had I been his much younger age.
As we hiked around, I got to know a bit more about Daniel. He is a pastry chef with a wife, son and daughter, living in a small city in the south of France near Marseille. He is quite fond of the southwestern area of the US and has visited this area numerous time, but this was his first in Bisti. Daniel said the U.S. is his favorite country and he would like to live here, but would not want to be so far away from his extended family.
After the tour, I invited him to have coffee and breakfast in the Sportsmobile, since we were much closer to it than the south parking area, where Daniel had parked. Afterwards, we would hike back to the southern area, scouting much during a long hike. This will be a topic for other posts.
Rain had prevented an afternoon shoot with the DSLR the previous day and the rain chances were to go away overnight, so I got up before sunrise this morning to photograph the falls and portions of the Cumberland River in early morning light.
Cumberland Falls in Cumberland Falls State Park, Kentucky. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, f/11, 10.0s, ISO 400, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
It was still overcast in the very early portion of the morning with a mist around the river area. Condensation fell upon me from the tree canopy at my first shooting area. I was the only one there and this is usually the case, when one gets out before daybreak. Most typical tourist are late risers and/or have breakfast before venturing out and about. We photography enthusiasts usually shoot first and eat later.
Initially, long shutter speeds were required due to the dim, very early, morning light; but this is exactly what I wanted, in order to get the silky look in the flowing water, creating the sense of motion.
Going back up to the walkway/trail along the river after my first stop, I noted that there were other view points that I had not explored the day before, so I continued to those other areas, checking views from the trail as I walked along.
Cumberland Falls in Cumberland Falls State Park, Kentucky. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 38mm, f/16, 2.0s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
Eventually, the overcast began to burn away and there was some good early morning sunlight, which as expected fell on the opposite side of the river. The waterfall was mostly in shadow in the very early morning; but I think I got good images anyway and the low light intensity made it easy to get the slower shutter speeds that I wanted to use.
I continued to drag the shutter (use longer than required shutter speed) a little, even though as the light brightened, I could have adjusted the aperture and/or the ISO to freeze the water motion. I prefer the silky look in the flowing water; although, there are some who object to this as creating an unreal (not as our eyes see it) image.
Cumberland Falls in Cumberland Falls State Park, Kentucky. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 35mm, f/16, 1.3s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.Cumberland Falls in Cumberland Falls State Park, Kentucky. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 31mm, f/16, 1/3s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.Cumberland Falls in Cumberland Falls State Park, Kentucky. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 56mm, f/16, 0.8s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
As the light advanced and I was satisfied that I had acquired the images that I wanted of the falls, I walked down by the river just below the parking lot, shooting several photographs of the river above the falls. By this time a few scattered visitors began to show up.
Cumberland River and Reflections. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 50mm, f/16, 0.4s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.Cumberland River and Reflections. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 38mm, f/16, 1/3s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.Cumberland River. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 48mm, f/16, 1/3s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
As a reminder, clicking upon an image will open it in Flickr, where the image will look better than in this post.
Thanks for following and I hope you enjoy the photographs,
At the end of our stay in the Liberty, Kentucky area, we decided to modify our plans and make a stop over at Cumberland Falls State Resort, Kentucky. We were only a couple of hours away and the online literature made this look like an interesting place to see.
It was much too early in the fall for the best fall color here, but our schedule dictated that we be here now. I went out late in the day of our arrival, primarily to scout, but I put my camera in our vehicle trunk just in case I decided conditions merited DSLR photographs.
Scouting along the river just above the falls, I noted a sign that prohibited one from going any further along the river above the falls, much to my dismay. I knew I could safely get closer to the top of the falls, but I heeded the sign. The top edge of falls are frequently not very interesting to photograph anyway.
Cumberland Falls. iPhone photograph with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
This is a tourist attraction and there are railings set up at various view points with warnings not to cross the rails, which of course I really wanted to do, since I was sure I could get better compositions beyond the rails, exercising caution not to fall off of a cliff in the process. Nevertheless, I heeded the prohibitions.
Cumberland Falls. iPhone photograph with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
As usual in the afternoon hours, there were numerous visitors out and about, with one group being escorted by a young park ranger. This time of the year there were not large crowds of visitors, as there are in the summer months. In fact most of the visitors were older people with no children. There were a few younger people, who either had no kids or only pre-school kids.
Cumberland Falls. iPhone photograph with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
It was an overcast afternoon and, even though earlier than I would normally shoot at sunset, it was obvious that there would be no sunset light this day. So I decided to go back to my vehicle, get my camera gear and shoot anyway. As I began to get out the camera gear, rain began. I initially sat in the vehicle for a while, then decided to give up for the day. Of course, by the time I drove back to our cottage, the rain had stopped. At least I got a few iPhone images, just in case something happened to prevent me from returning in the morning, when the rain was predicted to have passed by.
Tomorrow I will try to get some long exposures of the waterfall for that silky flowing water effect.
