My June 2014 Photo of the Month is Blue Hen Falls and Alcove, taken of the picturesque waterfall in Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio.
Blue Hen Falls Background
This is my second visit to Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The last time was an October âFall Colorâ trip that ended up with mostly waterfalls due to weather. I was in Ohio this time for my good friend Dave Harrellâs wedding in nearby Akron.
The trip was a good time, including standing in front of Lebron Jamesâ house with a sign begging him to sign with the Lakers.
I have been told that most of the year, Blue Hen Falls doesnât have a huge flow, so I think with rainy weather I have gotten lucky both times. My first visit to Blue Hen Falls, I shot it mostly straight-on with a cascade in the foreground. This time, I wanted to simplify the composition. I made my way over to the waterfallâs left, which was a little slippery. There was plenty of room to setup under the alcove.
My favorite part of this image and the separate strands of the fall. There is a large one in the middle. On either side, there are some beautiful and wispy strands of water.
Many people tend to overexpose these images by leaving their shutter open too long. I try to find the right moment that captures just the right amount of smoothness. Too much and youâre blowing out the whole waterfall, too little and youâre capturing droplets. The bottom of the fall is blown out, but I see my subject being more in the middle of the frame. I was content to let this spot move off the histogram to capture the rest in the manner I was looking for.
As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the image.
T.M. Schultze is a San Diego-based photographer, traveller, and writer. He writes, photographs, and draws things of the outdoors that have inspired humans for thousands of years. He co-authored the Photographerâs Guide to Joshua Tree Park which can be purchased here.