Spring Waterfall Photography Weekend

Man in the Falls, Garwin Falls

I have spent years exploring the many waterfalls in my corner of New England.  Some of these, like Chesterfield Gorge and Garwin Falls, are well known and accessible, but others are harder to find. This last weekend I had a great time sharing many of these falls with a group of enthusiastic photographers, during my first Spring Waterfall Weekend.

Shooting Garwin Falls

Early spring in New England, especially before the buds begin to explode, is a time of mud, sticks and overcast skies. It can be a depressing time for landscape photographers, but it is saved by being one of the best seasons for waterfalls. The melting snow and spring rains fill even the smaller brooks and the overcast light is perfect for capturing long exposures of falling water.  I scheduled my waterfall workshop for a time when I hoped there would still be a vigorous spring flow, but at the beginning of the week I began to fear that things were drying up.  I didn’t need to worry, since the late week rains had the exact effect that I desired.  

Friday Night, Meet & Greet, and Eat

Pond Brook Falls to the Catsbane

I had a full crew of participants, with 9 being the maximum that I can comfortably fit around my dining room table for discussion, critiques and, of course, snacks.  We first gathered Friday evening for a chance to meet everyone,  and I was able to discuss key elements of the photography of flowing water.  We reviewed the importance of a sturdy tripod, a cable release and, of course, a polarizing filter.  I had sent an email listing the important equipment and most of the class was ready to go.  There were a few cheap shaky tripods, but, if the workshop accomplished nothing else, I am confident that there will be some substantial tripod purchases coming soon.  

• Essentialsof Waterfall Photography

 

Cheap Protection

The weather was threatening with intermittent rain showers predicted. I spent time discussing the importance of proper rain gear and protection for their equipment, and measures to assure safety on steep slippery slopes.  The mantra, “There is no such thing as bad weather, just inadequate clothing”, seemed well ingrained.  Happily, I didn’t loose anyone.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday 

Hillsborough County

Saturday, I led the group on a drive to Wilton NH, to explore the rich collection of waterfalls in Hillsborough County.  With so much to see, the challenge was to allow enough time at each falls, while still having time to sample a variety of locations.  We were able to visit, Garwin Falls, Frye’s Measure Mill, Lower Purgatory Falls, and Senter Falls.  With time restrictions, we had to let Tucker Brook Falls wait for another day.  I guess it is always good to leave them wanting more.

The weather was great for waterfall photography, with overcast skies, occasional fog, and some of the strongest flows that I have seen in this area.  The light, intermittent rain required shielding of the equipment, but I heard no complaints from my intrepid team.  

Garwin Falls

Twin Falls, Part of Garwin Falls

It was perhaps a mistake to start off with the dramatic Garwin Falls.  I was concerned that, after Garwin’s  powerful and multi-level cascades, other falls might seem tame, but everyone quickly appreciated that each waterfall has its own unique character and opportunities for image making.  They learned that the best waterfalls are not always the strongest.  The recent rain also overflowed the reservoir above Garwin Falls providing misty views of the veiled waterfall and underlying cascades.  

I spent much of my time chasing after people as they scattered around the locations. Prime topics of discussion included, exposure (exposing to the right but avoiding blowing out the highlights in the water), the use of the polarizer (many seemed to have trouble

Below the Reservoir

adjusting the filter for maximum effect) and the critical effect of shutter speed (finding the speed that captures soft water without loosing a touch of texture).  A particular challenge was trying to keep water droplets off of the lens.  I tried to stress the importance of keeping the lens cap on until ready to shoot and, when exposed, keeping the camera pointed down.  Despite the best precautions, drops will form and must be checked before beginning to shoot.

Frye’s Measure Mill

Frye's Measure Mill

My next goal was Lower Purgatory Falls, but before we descended to Purgatory, I made a last minute addition of the Frye’s Measure Mill.  Just a few miles from Garwin, the mill provided a nice waterfall all framed with the interesting architectural feature of a classic old mill. One of my group found a perfect tableau, with a rustic shack,  old barrel and a watering can filled with greenery.  All this with the mill and falls in the background.  It must have been arranged with photographers in mind.

Mill Tableau

Purgatory Falls

Purgatory, Falls and Froath

As always, Lower Purgatory Falls was impressive, but I think we all agreed that the flow was actually a bit too strong, drowning some of the interesting rocks.  The Falls did provide an excellent backdrop for a soggy portrait of our group.  After Purgatory I decided to skip Tucker Brook Falls and instead lead the group to the isolated Senter Falls.  Tucker is a lovely falls, but I felt that the multiple falls and steep cascade of Senter could provide more variety.

Senter Falls

Just Part of Senter Falls

Senter Falls can be challenging to find.  It is distant from the other Hillsbough falls, the trail head is along a narrow road and is not well marked.  It seems I always run by the entrance before I finally get back to find it.  The falls are only a short stroll from the road, before a climb up the steep trail passes multiple interesting drops and cascades.  We could have easily spent the afternoon at this one rich location, but everyone was getting hungry and several had other desperate bodily needs.  We headed out for Peterborough and a late lunch.

• Waterfall Treasures of Hillsborough County

Harrisville and Monadnock

Harrisville Race

After lunch at Twelve Pines we worked our way home, stopping at Harrisville to shoot the brook cascading through the beautifully preserved red brick mill structures.  By this time the sun was going in and out, providing opportunity to work on capturing wide contrasts of light.  It was a great opportunity to demonstrate my variable Neutral Density filter.  By this time everyone was ready for a break from flowing water and this was happily provided by the Bernese Mountain Dog, that was carefully watching all our activity.  The Route home took us to a ridge in Marlborough NH which features one of my favorite grand views of Mount Monadnock.  No major waterfalls in view, but we had to stop for the vista. 

Watchful Bernese

View to Monadnock

 Miniwawa Brook and Gardens
We finished up with a stop in Keene for roaring Miniwawa Brook, and lingered by some beautiful nearby gardens.

Miniwawa Surge

Critique and Pizza

Frye's Measure Mill
Lindsay Freese

By the time everyone got back to my house, we were tired but generally dry.  We were excited to review our images while supping on Pizza.  There were many great shots, and some opportunities for learning.  On some I was able to demonstrate how a few simple edits in Lightroom could bring out their full potential.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday

Catsbane Brook

Shooting Across the Catsbane

Sunday was a half day, but still filled with great opportunities. We started by touring some of the lesser known falls and cascades along the Catsbane Brook as it flows through the little village of West Chesterfield. Since we were in the area, I had to show my group the eagles nest on its snag across the Connecticut River. One eagle was guarding the nest.  The other would eventually return, but we had a schedule to keep and the group wanted to see Porcupine Falls in Gilsum.

Porcupine Falls 

Porcupine Falls and Cascades

Porcupine Falls is a lovely spot that I had just recently discovered, and is the subject of a recent blog.  The falls shoot out of the rocks on a small cliff.  It is not especially dramatic, but it does feed an interesting series of cascades which flow into a lovely pool.  Swimming Hole?  Above the pool is a sturdy bridge, or at least it is sturdy enough to hold all my workshop. The tenth guy on the bridge is talented photographer, Steve Hooper, who joined us on Sunday. Porcupine Falls is part of the John and Rosemarie Calhoun Family Forest and is now managed by the Monadnock Conservancy.

• Porcupine Falls

Forty Foot Falls

Swirls at Forty Foot

A few of the group had to head home after Porcupine Falls, but the remainder made one last stop at Forty Foot Falls.  This is one of my favorite local falls.  It is next to Joslin Road in Surry NH, but I am often told that it is difficult to find.  By this time my group knew exactly what to do and immediately scattered to find their muses. I have photographed these grand cascades many times so on this occasion, I was abandoned to concentrate on detail, include capturing the swirling leaves in one of the many eddies. 

• Forty Foot Falls

 

Can’t Wait Until Next Year

Workshop at Porcupine Falls

It was an exciting weekend and the group reported that they enjoyed discovering the many local waterfalls and learning more about there cameras.  It was especially rewarding to spend time with a group of people who are so excited to learn about the amazing potential of digital photography.   I can’t wait to see their favorite images.  I will be showing the best in a Spring Waterfall Workshop Gallery on my website.  

Now I can focus on a photography workshop that I will be running for members of the Monadnock Conservancy and then getting myself ready for my Introduction to Lightroom  Course starting on the 1st of June.  I love sharing all this fantastic stuff!

• Waterfallsof Cheshire County
  
• Waterfall Treasures of Hillsborough County
• Photographing the Magic of Velvet Water 

Jeffrey Newcomer
partridgebrookreflections.com

Essential for Waterfall Photography

Garwin Falls Veil

I’m getting things together for my Spring Waterfall Workshop, coming up this weekend.  I have been scouting many of my favorite regional waterfalls, and although I know that some of the more ephemeral falls can dry up quickly, so far, the flows are looking good.  Still I am praying for a little more rain this week. 

The workshop begins Friday night with a meet and great at the house We will plan our rough itinerary for Saturday and I will have a chance to review some of the essential elements of waterfall photography.  So here is a review  are a few essentials for capturing falling water.

1 ) Being There

It should be obvious, but the first step is to get out to the falls when there is a vigorous flow of water.  The spring run-off can be a reliable source, but later, the results are usually best following a significant rain storm.

Polarizer & Graduated ND Filter
Arethusa Falls, Livermore NH

As always, the right conditions are critical. Overcast or rainy weather is often best. Bright sunlight produces brilliant reflections and hot spots that can make exposure impossible without heavy application of HDR techniques. Soft diffuse light allows all of the detail in the rocks and water to shine through and the lower illumination makes it much easier to use long exposures that create the soft look that is so popular. In brilliant sunshine, even your smallest aperture and slowest ISO will not be enough to adequately slow the shutter speed. A fully applied polarizing filter can take away a couple of stops, but when more light reduction is needed a neutral density filter may be needed to extend the shutter duration to render that magical, cotton candy, effect.

2) Getting Steady

It seems silly to have to say this, but waterfall photography requires a sturdy tripod. My only advice about tripods is spend the money to get a good one. If you buy a cheap tripod, you will be replacing it every few years and all you will ever have is a CHEAP tripod. An expensive tripod will be the only one you will ever need. It will save money in the long run and you will always have a GREAT tripod.

3) Filters

The one essential photographic filter is the polarizer, and this is

especially true for waterfall photography. The polarizer performs the magic of blunting the reflection on rocks and water allowing the native colors to shine through, but the maximum effect is not always the best. Some reflection may be helpful to add definition to the flowing water. Experimentation is the best way to

Non-Polarized

find the right amount, but at times the optimal polarization for the rocks may be too much for the water. Here is where the fun of stacked images and masking can come in, but, seriously, you can drive yourself crazy with this stuff. Most of the time a comfortable compromise is available. Finally, as I mentioned above, the polarizer blocks one or two stops of light making it easier to capture the  long exposure required to "velvetize" (my word, feel free to steal it) the water.

Polarized

4) Shutter Speed

I am often ask about the correct shutter speed for waterfall photography, and I have struggled to find a simple rule that can be generally applied.

Forty Foot Falls Cascade

  A few years ago, I tried to apply some scientific rigor to the problem.  I spent a couple of hours at one of my favorite local collection of falls and cascades, Forty Foot Falls, along Merriman Brook in Surry New Hampshire. These falls, include drops of varying heights and can be easily approached from different distances. I took multiple images from various locations with shutter speeds in increments from 1/30th  to 4 seconds. The weather was perfect, a dark overcast shortly following a significant rain storm. After careful analysis, the results of this non- randomized, single blinded study were conclusive and a failure.  

Forty Foot Falls Test

The best shutter for any waterfall is dependent on too many factors to surrender to a simple formula.  The most important confounding factor, of course, is individual taste.  We all have our own preferences for the degree of "velvetization".  My overall goal for waterfalls is a shutter speed which is long enough to provide the velvety look without being so long as to render the water without any texture and interest.  On average I find this to range between 0.25 and 1 second, but the best result is dependent on a number of factors, including the speed of the water, the depth, interruptions to flow and the distance from the falls. I love the soft look, but a fast shutter can work to freeze the random calamity of a boiling cascade

The Speed of the flow depends on the height and steepness of the falls and the degree to which the water falls unobstructed.  Faster flows are best captured with faster shutter speeds to preserve a sense of texture. 

Deep falls obscure the underlining rocks and depend on the water detail for visual interest, making faster shutter speeds necessary.

 
Obstructions such as rocks and ledges slow the flow, diverting and fanning the water into streams that can be captured at longer shutters before detail is lost. 

Pond Brook Falls in Time

Moss Glen Falls

All of these effects are blunted by greater distance from the subject.  My more distant image from Moss Glen Falls in Granville, Vermont was taken with full polarization and a 10 second exposure, but from this distant the interest came from the streaming and fanning of the water and was not weaken by the loss of surface texture.

5 ) Exposure

It can be challenging to achieve good exposure for both the bright

Gentle HDR : Catsbane Brook

falling water and the surrounding dark rocks.  Multi-image HDR techniques can work well, but capturing the full dynamic range in a single image is more difficult.  The best compromise is one that results in an image that allows the salvaging of both the highlights and shadows.  In this  situation, “exposing to the right” (ETTR) can be critical.  Increasing the exposure as far as possible, without blowing out the highlights, will allow for better detail in the shadows as the image is processed.  It is important to avoid blowing out the highlights.  Even a small area of pure white, without detail, can shine out awkwardly and no amount of processing can retrieve detail where none exists

To allow for long shutter speeds, the f stops are typically quite high.  I usually try to avoid the diffraction caused by extremely small apertures, but waterfall photography often forces me to accept f stops in the 18-22 range.  

6) Safety (This should really be number one)

Steep banks below
the Ashuelot Arch Bridge

Special attention to safety is seldom more critical than when standing precariously on slippery rocks, inches from a precipitous drop to raging water, or while sliding down a steep bank to reach a roaring brook.  The basic rules are the same.

First: Most of the best shots are seen from difficult to reach locations, where your life may be in danger.  More importantly, your equipment will be at risk of loss or damage.  Start by assuming the worst WILL happen.

Second: A few simple precautions, faithfully followed, can substantially reduce the risk of disaster. The key is to slow down and focus on your gear and your feet. Generally, the beautiful stuff will still be there once everything is secure.

Slow Down

Scary spot over Lower Purgatory Falls

Think before you move and never assume that your foot will hold on the leaves and wet rocks.  Have a back-up, a tree, a hiking pole or just your other foot.  When adjusting your equipment try to keep at least two points of control, two hands, a hand and a neck strap or hands and the tripod.  

Never fully trust the tripod.  Whenever my camera and tripod are over water, I always keep my neck strap on.  At times it can be awkward, all it takes is a gust of wind or a slipping leg for your camera to end up in the brook.  A few years ago, I was shooting by a stream in Harrisville.  I turned away for a second to grab something from my bag and my tripod toppled over dunking my camera in the icy water. It was a costly way to learn an important lesson.

 

Painful experience has also taught me to keep the holder under my filter as I unscrew.  The filter always seems to come off as you re-grip.

 

Changing lenses can be especially scary.  When I am in a vulnerable position, I try to avoid switching, but, if absolutely necessary, I stop, put everything down and try not to juggle more than one thing at a time. I secure one lens before taking another out, and position myself to screen everything from the mist.

Waterfall photography provides many exciting opportunities and challenges.  Hopefully these suggestions will help encourage you to get out there and enjoy one of this season’s greatest attractions.

Jeff Newcomer
partridgebrookreflections.com

603-363-8338