Pam's Grotto

From two weekends ago. How shall I set this one up? First there were the two guys in front of us who threw a grapefruit-sized rock down the trail almost on top of me(they were very apologetic) or how bout the fact that after the not real long but steep and scrambly approach to this wonderful spot I discovered that shooting without the camera in my bag was going to be tough. So BACK to the truck and BACK to the Grotto..and then waiting for the sun to go behind clouds which it did for the rest of the afternoon(allowing a quick trip to Pack Rat Falls also). There was a constant cool breeze in this area which helped dry the sweat from my double trip!

Bob Wyatt

Canon 40D
Canon 17-40L(17mm)
0.6 seconds @ f/11-ISO 100
B & W Circ Polarizer

I have not been shooting that long, but I know that it is much easier to take a picture when you actually have the camera with you. I can sort of relate. A few months ago I was doing some engagement pictures for some friends of mine. I was shooting an old manual focus slr and about half way through the shoot I realized I had never actually loaded any film into the camera. It was sitting in the backseat of the car.

Nice shot. Did you get to spend much time at Pack Rat falls? I really enjoy shooting that creek there are some neat cascades.

Matt,
Even more interesting was the fact that when my friend Steve and I were done shooting at Pack Rat and planning to "work" our way back out in this very neat creek...his D90 came off the tripod and hit the water. He recovered it as it hit and popped the battery out ASAP. Ran the defroster on the camera all the way home. He fired it up last Thurday and it seemed to work fine. Even so he is sending it into Nikon for a check-over. I did not feel it appro to make him stay and watch me try and shoot some more so we called it a day! I have a way of turning a shooting trip into a real adventure.

Bob Wyatt

It seems like cameras today are pretty good in the water. My Sony A300 saw lots of rain and did fine. I had an old point and shoot that I actually laid in the water for a few seconds at Petit Jean a while back. I shot with it the rest of the day.

I also have a very amateur Minolta autofocus SLR that if the humidity hits above 90% it starts acting crazy.

All too familiar horror stories! Excellent image and perfect exposure.

Thanks for posting.

Nice image, Bob and it sounds like you had a typical photographer's day!

Tom,
I THINK I know someone in your family. Beth -who lives/works in Paragould. Is that right?
Bob

Tom,
That would be Debbie B. instead of BEth ;)
Bob Wyatt

Hey Bob, you know I get a royalty every time my wife's waterfall is photographed! Sometimes the best way to enjoy a scene is without your camera - a rare treat for many of us that feel like the only really good scene is one we have "captured." And being forced to sit and enjoy a waterfall and soaking in all the negative ions it produces is one of life's great pleasures and good for the soul - although sometimes a bit frustrating waiting for good light!

Nice shot Bob - especially the light coming in at the very top. Certainly a great place to sit and wait on some clouds! Did you happen to take a beer with you?

Bob, I have a cousin that lives somewhere in northeast Arkansas named Jadean, so I am not sure who this is? My wife also has a cousin that lives in that area, but I am not sure what his wife's name is? Does she know me?

Good shot Bob. My son and I recently hiked for about 45 minutes down a newly opened trail in North Carolina. As soon as we spotted the beautiful waterfall at the end, it started to rain. And wouldn't you know it, the umbrellas had been left in the car. My daughter had been carrying the umbrellas in her pack on our earlier hikes, but she had decided to stay at the lodge for this one.

Oh well. I took Tim's advice, snapped several frames in my mind and sat under some overhanging branches and had a conversation with my son. All-in-all not a bad result at all.

Glad you were not so far away and were able to retrieve your camera.

Bob, I don't know if you're like me or not but the extra exercise would do me good ... the frustration maybe not!

Nice take on this famous fall (but I'm not going to mention it's name so I can save that royalty fee to Tim).

Thanks for all the encouragement everyone! Tim...it truly is a wonderful place. I am positive that even in the heat of the summer that is a cool haven for man and beast. I have no problem paying the royalty. Bill...I did not have a beer but I did think that a great prank would to be be the first one at that falls on a day when you would know others are coming...have a blow up raft and a cooler and be floating out in that pool as the others arrived! Tom...this person knows you and your wife also who she believes is also a photographer-she describes you and your wife as people who are good at anything they do. Wayne-my expanding middle could certainly use the exercise.

Bob Wyatt
Jonesboro, AR.

count me in for the raft idea. I can bring a couple of helmets, nose plugs and jackets so we can really look stupid.

See ya there Matthew !

Bob Wyatt
Jonesboro, AR.
NPN 02012009004463

Great image Bob, I'm glad you didn't crush any blacks. I was able to go to Pam's Grotto yesterday for the first time... Wow, I thought I had found Fern Gully. I'm glad I brought my camera. On the way back I lost the trail and had to run head first down the hill. I shot a 46 image HDR Panorama that I'm hoping will turn out.