My Best Waterfall Photograph Ever.
This past autumn while out photographing with a private workshop client I may have created an almost insurmountable problem for myself, the problem of making a photograph so good I may never be able to top it.
As many of you know I love to photograph waterfalls, and this photograph of Crystal Cascade in the White Mountains of New Hampshire is, if not the best waterfall photo I’ve ever made, it is most certainly my favorite. No small feat considering how many and how often I photograph waterfalls.
So now what?
Should I give up, knowing the likelihood of ever making another waterfall photograph this good isn’t likely to happen?
Hardly.
Do I simply stop photographing waterfalls altogether because I may never make another waterfall photo I like as much?
Um, no!
To me this photograph is pure motivation. Even though I may never top it, you can bet I’ll be working my hardest to do just that. After all, as good as I feel this photograph is I’m pretty sure I can top it, eventually. 🙂
Ironically this photo almost didn’t happen. The above image is of the upper section of the much larger waterfall shown below. Since it was the end of the day and I was getting tired I planned to leave my Fujinon XF50-140mm lens in the car in order to lighten my pack a little bit, instead just bringing my XF10-24mm lens. Had my client, who carried a huge backpack with every lens he owned in it to every location I took him to, not goaded me into taking it I never would have been able to make this shot.
the water almost looks like flowing electricity.
Both images quite beautiful
Every waterfall is different and hold the promise of magic – the “perfect one” is always still one step ahead of you, right?
It is fantastic – every moment is unique, so there could be more out there!
Great picture! Thanks for sharing!
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Ha,ha…I know the feeling about achieving some sort of goal and then the feeling of: now what…more pressure to do even better…! It drove me to distraction for a while in my life till I accepted that: A who is to say that it is the best ever and B..there is always someone doing things even better…so : Stop trying for perfection!!!
Exactly! Always striving to better previous images is what keeps me motivated. Nothing in landscape photography is ever exactly the same so today’s “best” may very well be topped sooner than I think.
This is a beautiful capture with the long exposure of the low flow, just enough autumn color to frame the falls and the individual leaves clinging to the moss within the falls.
Thanks Gary. Yes the flow was down considerably from what it was back in the spring.
That shot is beaut, Jeff. It’s a living thing. Fine and damn fine. Cheers.
Thank you very much!
Perfection is almost impossible to achieve, but this must be as close as it gets. Thanks for sharing.
Agreed, but I’ll never stop trying.
Gorgeous! I have to say though, that my eye was drawn to the rocks and the colors of the leaves as much as the waterfall. Spectacular image!