After my 2 day obsession with the Crystal River Mill, I was headed to the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands to meet my family and do 4 nights of camping at the Horsethief Campground just outside the park.
I woke up that morning and found more snow on the ground; time to check out Rifle Falls on the way to Canyonlands. Earlier in the week, I had emailed Stan Rose about directions to the Ice Caves that reside within Rifle Falls State Park. I was headed to the caves.
Not knowing what to expect, I just drove to the park. About 2 miles from the park I couldn’t help but get excited about conditions. A thick layer of heavy spring snow had completely plastered the area overnight. It wasn’t a lot of snow; however it had to be a short, very intense, windy storm to witness. Every twig of every branch, of every tree was covered with 1-2 inches of heavy spring snow.
On the way to the Falls, I kept stopping along the road and shot a 70-200 into the scrub oak. Concentrating on the abstract feel, knowing these shots would look good in B&W if color failed me.
Knowing the Ice caves could wait, I made my way to the Falls. Driving into the parking lot, I noticed a brave soul that endured the overnight storm in a one man tent. He had his stuff pulled out into the road, laid out, waiting for the morning sun to heat up, and dry his gear.
I packed my gear, and ran to the Falls which resides maybe 200 yards from the parking area. The little overlook to the left provided an obvious spot to set up the camera. I was excited to use my new Nikon 14-24 lens, a lens I missed dearly after I converted to Canon. This was the perfect spot for the 14mm end of the best lens I know. Shooting different exposures and having to blend later really leaves one to wonder how this will all turn out.
After the Falls, I headed to the Ice Caves…a big dud. The warm temps of the previous week turned the Ice Caves into a giant slurpee.
The falls image is a 3 image blend with a +1 Saturation and added highlights. I added some focus softness to the center of the image to accentuate the mist from the roaring falls. Lastly, I used selective sharpening around the boarder/edges to allow the eye to move into the image to feel the mist.
The abstract images are B&W converts with Silver Efex pro.
What a beautifully elegant presentation of the falls! Love it.
Posted by Russ Shugart on April 3, 2011 at 10:30 PM
Very unique shot of the falls. I love the post processing. Fantastic!
Russ
www.AlpineGalleria.com
Posted by Richard Olsen on April 3, 2011 at 10:33 PM
One of the nicest photos of the falls I've seen!
And they're practically in my back yard....I ask myself...where was I that morning???? I don't like the answer...probably something to do with the back of my eyelids
Neat to see the falls in a different, more wintry light. Perfect seasonal timing to get both flowing water plus snow and icicles surrounding the falls!
Discussion
9 repliesI woke up that morning and found more snow on the ground; time to check out Rifle Falls on the way to Canyonlands. Earlier in the week, I had emailed Stan Rose about directions to the Ice Caves that reside within Rifle Falls State Park. I was headed to the caves.
Not knowing what to expect, I just drove to the park. About 2 miles from the park I couldn’t help but get excited about conditions. A thick layer of heavy spring snow had completely plastered the area overnight. It wasn’t a lot of snow; however it had to be a short, very intense, windy storm to witness. Every twig of every branch, of every tree was covered with 1-2 inches of heavy spring snow.
On the way to the Falls, I kept stopping along the road and shot a 70-200 into the scrub oak. Concentrating on the abstract feel, knowing these shots would look good in B&W if color failed me.
Knowing the Ice caves could wait, I made my way to the Falls. Driving into the parking lot, I noticed a brave soul that endured the overnight storm in a one man tent. He had his stuff pulled out into the road, laid out, waiting for the morning sun to heat up, and dry his gear.
I packed my gear, and ran to the Falls which resides maybe 200 yards from the parking area. The little overlook to the left provided an obvious spot to set up the camera. I was excited to use my new Nikon 14-24 lens, a lens I missed dearly after I converted to Canon. This was the perfect spot for the 14mm end of the best lens I know. Shooting different exposures and having to blend later really leaves one to wonder how this will all turn out.
After the Falls, I headed to the Ice Caves…a big dud. The warm temps of the previous week turned the Ice Caves into a giant slurpee.
The falls image is a 3 image blend with a +1 Saturation and added highlights. I added some focus softness to the center of the image to accentuate the mist from the roaring falls. Lastly, I used selective sharpening around the boarder/edges to allow the eye to move into the image to feel the mist.
The abstract images are B&W converts with Silver Efex pro.
Critique appreciated.
http://www.kaephotography.com/gallery/rifle-falls/
Russ
www.AlpineGalleria.com
And they're practically in my back yard....I ask myself...where was I that morning???? I don't like the answer...probably something to do with the back of my eyelids