2014, Day 81 - Churning

I went out to Panther Creek today with Nicole and Bonham.  We had no agenda, just a little time outdoors and hopefully a few pictures to go with it.  It is a nice way to approach photography because when you have no expectations you're open to what catches your interest.  Like this view of the water, I love the texture and sense of movement it conveys.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 60/f2.4R
60mm, f22, 1/5 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 23 - Crunchy

When I've gone to Panther Creek before and climb down to photograph the falls at eye-level I tend to take the pictures with a landscape orientation.  It is a wide series of falls and because of trees and the slippery nature of the wet moss it can be difficult to get the right distance from the falls and keep out of the spray.  Fortunately with the mossy ground frozen over and rather slick I had to move slowly and it allowed me more time than I would usually take to find compositions that I liked.  This one I enjoy because of the fallen tree and the lush greens in the foreground with the darker richer greens in the trees above.  I can still hear the crunch and snap of the icy carpet under my feet.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f5.6, merged layers of 1/6, 1/3, 0.6, 1.3, and 2.5 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 5 - Frosted

When I got up this morning to walk the dogs everything was covered in a heavy layer of frost.  It was below freezing and the ground crunched underfoot.  It put me in mind of my recent visit to Panther Creek with Nicole and Nicci.  I love the view of the falls from down low and as I moved further downstream I quite liked the visual interest of the fallen trees in the foreground.  The obviously chilly water against the ice encrusted mosses and evergreens provided great contrast, it still looks lush but like the verdant quality of the falls was under attack by winter.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f10, merged layers of 0.6, 1.3, 2.5, 5, and 10 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 347 - Feathers of water

This is from my visit to Panther Creek with Nicole and Nicci a little over a week ago.  After photographing the falls from the ice-covered moss I explored the other views.  There is a secondary lower waterfall that I hadn't investigated previously and I wasn't about to attempt to get down to the bottom given the rather slippery purchase but I liked the little evergreen on the downed log and the frosty branches as a contrast so this is what I came away with.  The dusting of snow on the trees, the greens of the mosses not encased in a glittering prison and the feathered look of the water as it hits the pool at the bottom of the falls.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f7.1, merged layers of 1.6, 3.2, and 6 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 339 - Frosty falls

Panther Creek is a favorite location in part because it is easy to get to the creek and in part because it is beautiful.  Notice I said it is easy to get the the creek?  That's because it takes a bit of climbing to get to the falls and it isn't too bad when the weather is nice but it is a bit more challenging when it is covered in ice and snow.  The descent wasn't too bad but the ascent was particularly difficult because many of the best or easiest hand and foot holds were icy but with a little patience and creativity it wasn't too bad.  The other tricky thing was all the ice surrounding the lower part of the falls thanks to the spray from the falling water.  I was limited to the flat areas because even though they were icy I wasn't going to slide into the frigid water.  Still, it was worth it and I was very careful so there was little chance of falling.  Although it was snowing it wasn't heavy enough to make it through the dense trees down to the falls in most places and I suspect if it was then I wouldn't have been able to get access safely without more equipment.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f8, merged layers of 1, 2, 4, and 8 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 113 - Before the plunge

Still reliving my adventures at Panther Creek.  There are so many beautiful places in the gorge that it is easy to become spoiled for choice.  I often think I should make more of an effort to explore but my favorite places have such a magical allure that I cannot help but return time after time.  I guess if I am not bored then it is working out just fine :)

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f2/8, merged layers of 1.6, 6, and 13 sec @ 800 ISO

2013, Day 112 - Humping boulders

Getting down to the bottom of Panther Creek Falls is no simple task.  There are two near vertical points of descent that requires you to make use of small rock outcroppings as hand and toe holds.  When encumbered with a backpack full of camera gear it is made even more difficult and I was tempted to remove my shoes to ensure I had a good grip.  Still, I made it safely to the bottom and was treated to a scene of unparalleled beauty.

Panther Creek's waterfall is beautiful and delicate.  The myriad of ways the water tumbles down t he rock is so pretty.  A cool mist comes in waves and between them I took a number of pictures.  Each time I wiped my filter of water droplets and waited to start again.  The ground is a spongy bed of rich moss and the sound of the water hitting the stones drowns out all other noise.  It is peaceful and stunning at the bottom of the falls.  Fortunately it is easier to climb back up than it is to climb down the rock face.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f16, merged layers of 0.3, 0.6, and 1.3 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 111 - Melting torrent

Last time I was at Panther Creek it was summer and although it was warm the water flowing was frigid.  That didn't stop me from standing in it to get a shot I wanted.  This time the water level was higher and moving much faster.  Remarkably it didn't seem any colder than in the summer.  The faster moving water looked so silky and the cloudy sky kept out the dapple sun the creek normally gets making it perfect weather for exploring the waterfalls of the Columbia River Gorge.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
21mm, f8, merged layers of 1, 2, and 4 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 110 - Falling in the dark

It has been a while since I've been out to the Columbia River Gorge so when Nicole invited I jumped at the chance.  Her friend David is in town for a long weekend which means she's been playing tour guide and taking him to see the sights.  Sadly I've not had the time to go out and play until today when we went to Panther Creek.  There was some light rain, just enough to keep most people at home, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves.  The even lighting was beautiful and we had a blast and the water over Panther Creek falls was pretty spectacular.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f2.8, merged layers of 2.5 and 5 sec @ 200 ISO

2012, Day 174 - Beyond a trickle

Today I felt like a return to nature.  Recently there have been a lot of flower shots but I wanted something wild so I went back through my archive to the photos taken at Panther Creek.  Initially this photo wasn't a top pick but the more I looked at it the more I liked it.  So into Photoshop it went and this is the result.  I like the misty foggy effect of the moving water obtained through a long exposure.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
32mm, f22, 30 sec @ 100 ISO

2012, Day 140 - Obstruction

Another return to a photo from my Panther Creek adventure of last weekend.  It was a study in making the most of the prevailing conditions; it was early afternoon, we had a hot sun overhead, and there was high contrast light filtering through the canopy.  With those obstacles a wide angle lens was practically useless, too many changes in lighting throughout the scene to get anything useful.  That meant that isolated parts of the landscape were the only possible subjects and neutral density filters were a necessity to get smooth flowing water.

I sought to juxtapose the detail of the trees with the smoothness of the water, the dark against the light, the movement against stillness.  This particular section of the creek was ideal because the flow of water wasn't perfectly flat, submerged obstacles caused undulations which in turn created contrast between the creek and the turbulent water.  The rock peaking through the flow caps it off, it provides just a little extra visual interest to draw the eye towards the bottom left corner of the image.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 70-200/f2.8L IS Mark II
155mm, f22, 20 sec @ 100 ISO

2012, Day 135 - Controlled flare

Another photo from yesterday's jaunt along the gorge.  I love backlit foliage where you can see all the little veins snaking through the leaves and it is so much better when you can apply a sense of scale.  What is why I enjoy these photos taken from a really low angle.  The trees are towering over us and these simple plants, only half a foot tall, dominate the image.  Add a little bit of sun flare, slightly warmed in post, and you get a lovely little plant that almost seems to be straining for the light it needs to grow big and strong.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
17mm, f4, 1/250 sec @ 200 ISO