Wispy Trails

Wispy Trails

Waterfalls themselves are spectacular.  The power exhibited by one of nature's forces crashing through or tunneling out rock as it makes its journey down into a waiting pool of water.  All that energy can create something spectacular.  It can be something as simple as rapids or more hypnotic as a whirlpool.  As shown below at Dave's Falls in Wisconsin, all the wispy oxygenated water from the whirlpool shows up as white streaks due to the long exposure used to slow down the rapid movement of the water.  The extremely low angle of the shot adds to the drama and makes it seem as though you are standing in the water.  The bridge and fall color complete the image inviting you to take it all in.

Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Park

Walking through the areas that Native Americans inhabited as far back as 10,000 years ago, it is hard not to wonder if this culture shared the same feeling that I did as I went through the area.  Magical, spiritual, and surreal are some descriptors that come to mind.  Filled with enormous canyons, it is hard not to feel small when exploring them.  Both glaciation and aggressive stream erosion formed the canyons that are primarily St Peter sandstone1.  Most of the canyons have active waterfalls, that vary in performance depending both on season and precipitation levels.

Lake Falls, Matthiessen State Park

During my stay, the precipitation levels and type varied from thunderstorms (that happened while shooting St Louis Canyon) to snowfall.  The temps were variable as well.  When I arrived it was about 65, the morning I departed it was 26.  Needless to say, it was well worth the trip.  Going when the weather is not ideal means very few people.  That is an ideal situation for any nature photographer: to be by yourself, listen and feel the nature and try to capture its beauty.  I hope I did it justice.    See the rest of the gallery here:  

http://www.matthewjkirsch.com/gallery/Starved-Rock-State-Park/G0000FShnJ.rTxYk/C0000vLkidu44.io

Pontiac Canyon - Starved Rock State Park

1.  Illinois DNR "Starved Rock State Park." 27 Apr. 2014
     

Focus on the Small Stuff

Contrary to the saying "Don't sweat the small stuff," sometimes in photography you want to focus on the smaller stuff. I am not talking about macro or close-up photography here but the things in nature that don't appear so grand due to their size. In this case, waterfalls that are formed from small streams. For many of you the grand waterfalls are the awe inspiring ones, but sometimes if you take a good look at the small ones, there is awe there too. In the below awe-inspiring photograph the waterfall is about one foot drop. Focus on the small stuff.