Jewel of the Jungle

Here's another one from St. Croix in the Virgin Islands.

This year's rainy season here was the rainest in almost 100 years. We're talkin' Biblical stuff. As such, last December offered a rare chance to photograph waterfalls in never-before-seen condition. I found many to choose from, but this one was the best of all.

I've shot a lot in both Hawaii and the Columbia River Gorge, both top-notch waterfall locales, but this one held it's own with anything I've seen in those areas. This waterfall is so rarely seen here that it doesn't even have a name. I've shown prints of this to people who've lived here their whole lives, and at first they think I'm joking when I tell them that this exists right here on St. Croix.

I would've liked to get a tad more texture in the water, but it was getting dark and I didn't want to risk waiting to shoot this fleeting gem on another day. Thus, the long shutter speed and creamy water (which many buyers actually seem to prefer).

5DMK2, 16mm, f/16, 6 seconds, ISO 100, polarizer