This is the first of a few photos that I thought I'd post from a couple of years ago, during my first trip to Stafford Falls -- this view is of the confluence of Stafford Creek and the Wilson River, at about the spot where you ford the river to reach the falls. This was among the first places that I visited with a DSLR, and the images from the trip are still among my personal favorites. Dodged the shadows on the right and burned the shadows in the upper left - a surprisingly uneven light, given the very heavy overcast.
Comments and suggestions welcome!
Olympus E-300, 14-45mm (kit) lens at 14mm, 1 second exposure; this lens has since been retired, and replaced with the nicer 14-54mm lens that I use today.
Posted by Darren White on June 7, 2007 at 11:33 PM
I grew up near the Wilson River in Tillamook, and I have never heard of Stafford Falls before...
Bryan also has a page on this one. The name is proposed at this point - in my stack to be submitted to the OGNB. It honors William Stafford, who wrote "Traveling in the Dark" a poem set on the Wilson River Highway. I'll be posting an image of the falls as part of this set - working my way upstream! I guess I might as well post the poem - a classic from 1962, and his best known:
Travelling Through the Dark by William Stafford
Traveling through the dark I found a deer
dead on the edge of the Wilson River road.
It is usually best to roll them into the canyon:
that road is narrow; to swerve might make more dead.
By glow of the tail-light I stumbled back of the car
and stood by the heap, a doe, a recent killing;
she had stiffened already, almost cold.
I dragged her off; she was large in the belly.
My fingers touching her side brought me the reason--
her side was warm; her fawn lay there waiting,
alive, still, never to be born.
Beside that mountain road I hesitated.
The car aimed ahead its lowered parking lights;
under the hood purred the steady engine.
I stood in the glare of the warm exhaust turning red;
around our group I could hear the wilderness listen.
I thought hard for us all--my only swerving--,
then pushed her over the edge into the river.
There is some nice light coming through in the BG trees to balance the rest of the image nicely - Nice catch
Posted by Tom Kloster on June 10, 2007 at 11:13 AM
Thanks for the comments - and for Darren's benefit, I should point out that the highway is surprisingly close to this scene. The little falls tumbling in on the right flow from a culvert! Man and nature, I guess. Stafford Creek flows year-round, but with greatly reduced flows in summer. The trick is to catch it in May or early June, when the waterfall is flowing well, but the Wilson is still ford-able. I personally wouldn't attempt the ford if it were much more than knee-deep. That's about where it was when this photo was taken.
Discussion
5 repliesComments and suggestions welcome!
Olympus E-300, 14-45mm (kit) lens at 14mm, 1 second exposure; this lens has since been retired, and replaced with the nicer 14-54mm lens that I use today.
I really like this image!!!!!!!
mind sharing the location...mile marker???
Stafford Falls on Topozone
Bryan also has a page on this one. The name is proposed at this point - in my stack to be submitted to the OGNB. It honors William Stafford, who wrote "Traveling in the Dark" a poem set on the Wilson River Highway. I'll be posting an image of the falls as part of this set - working my way upstream! I guess I might as well post the poem - a classic from 1962, and his best known:
Travelling Through the Dark
by William Stafford
Traveling through the dark I found a deer
dead on the edge of the Wilson River road.
It is usually best to roll them into the canyon:
that road is narrow; to swerve might make more dead.
By glow of the tail-light I stumbled back of the car
and stood by the heap, a doe, a recent killing;
she had stiffened already, almost cold.
I dragged her off; she was large in the belly.
My fingers touching her side brought me the reason--
her side was warm; her fawn lay there waiting,
alive, still, never to be born.
Beside that mountain road I hesitated.
The car aimed ahead its lowered parking lights;
under the hood purred the steady engine.
I stood in the glare of the warm exhaust turning red;
around our group I could hear the wilderness listen.
I thought hard for us all--my only swerving--,
then pushed her over the edge into the river.
Tom