I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Western North Carolina in the Smokey Mountains. Anytime I’m in that area waterfalls are at the top of my “to do list.” I set-up camp in the Deep Creek area of the Great Smokely Mountains National Park and used that as my base of operations. Located outside of Bryson City there are three waterfalls that are a short hike from the Deep Creek parking area: Tom Branch Falls, Indian Creek Falls, and Juney Whank Falls. All three are well worth a visit and are easy enough to access for the entire family to enjoy. A short drive from Bryson City there are several waterfalls to be found around Cherokee, North Carolina. Two of my favorites are Mingo Falls and Soco Falls. Both are short hikes either up or down a set of steps. Soco Falls, however, doesn’t have easy access to the base of the falls. In fact one needs to either be a mountain goat or have some climbing skills to safely reach it and return to the marked trail.

There are many fine photographers that specialize in waterfalls photography. Living on the coast, I’m not one of them. The problem is to build competence one needs to be able to shoot, analyze the results, consult with other photographers and re-shoot frequently. This is an approach that allows one to grow and improve at a specific discipline. With the mountains and waterfalls being several hours away it’s just not a practical approach for me. For me I have to depend on the occassional opportunity and studying the writings and work of others to try to learn.

One of the problems with photographing waterfalls is one common with most popular landscapes and monuments; they’ve been photographed countless times before. Finding a combination of angle, lens, lighting and post processing that will be unique is nearly impossible. On this trip I wanted to emphasize wider angles than I’m used to seeing used. While this results in the falls being a smaller part of the image in many cases, it also allows incorporation of more of the surrounding environment, inclussion of foreground and background objects and use of environmental objects as leading lines and visual anchors in the composition. Where exposure is concerned there are three distinct schools of thought. 1) A fast shutter speed to freeze the action of the water. 2) A moderately slow shutter speed to allow some blurring of the falling water… a technique that argueably results in an image closely represntative of how the eye preceives falls. 3) Use of a very slow shutter speed to create a soft, eretheal look to the falling water. This seems to be the most popular approach these days.

So enough ramblings on my part. On to the photos. I hope you enjoy them.

The Great Blue Heron is a bird species frequently seen around Coastal North Carolina. With beautiful blue-grey coloring and black eyebrows that extend into plumes off the back of the head, they’re always a joy to observe. A large bird they stand 42 to 52 inches tall and have wingspans up to 6 feet across. These birds can be seen hunting in shallows of both salt and fresh water. They primarily feed on small fish, frogs, insects and snakes. A year-round resident in Coastal Carolina, Great Blue Herons are migratory in the extreme western portions of the state. This magnificant bird can be found throughout the United States during the summer months.

When photographing Great Blue Herons it’s important to keep in mind they’re frequently a bit darker than the surround Spartina grass or other common environments. The trick is to overexpose slightly compared to the reading provided by your camera’s metering system. Plus 1/3 to 2/3 of a stop is usually sufficient. Don’t overexpose too much or you blow the detail in the head area. Approaches towards these birds needs to be slow and cautious. They spook easily. Learning where they like to hunt then staking out that area may be more productive than attempting to stalk them for photographs. To find opportunities for observing or photographing Great Blue Herons try visiting the Tideland Trail near Cape Carteret, The Pinecliff Recreation area section of the Neusiok Tral, or take a drive through Downeast Carteret county along Highway 70 between Beaufort and Cedar Island.

Many of my favorite spots for hiking and photographing have become mud bogs. The rain this winter has been unrelenting. When conditions are like this you can suck it up and it slop along the muddy trails, stay home and daydream of an outdoor adventure, or do what I did, head for the beach. Unless the wind is roaring you can almost always find some kind of subject matter at the beach. Sanderlings, Sea Gulls, Brown Pelicans… something’s probably going to be there to photograph. Our beaches, however, can be a bit challenging. You need to know the area a bit to improve your odds of getting acceptable shots.

One important issues to consider when your goal is to take photos is the direction of the sun. Ideally the sun should be directly behind you for avian photography. If not directly behind you, mostly behind. Finding the right time of day and location can be challenging unless you’re familar with the local beaches. The next issue is knowing where to find the birds. You’re not necessarily going to encounter birds along just any stretch of the beach. The movement of birds… where they congregate… is largely dependent upon feeding opportunities. The birds are going to be where the food is. Knowledge of shoaling, water depths and tide schedules all play a big role in locating birds. By combining local knowledge of the beaches and some solid technique your chance of getting a few good images is greatly enhanced.

A while back I posted about the importance of being willing to get down and dirty to get interesting, compelling images. Sometimes that can lead to a bit of discomfort.  To capture these images of Sanderlings I was laying and sitting in very, very wet sand. My pants and shirt were soaked, the wind was blowing hard and the temperature was dropping quickly. Simply put, it wasn’t particularly comfortable. But the choice really comes down to whether you want to make interesting photos, or stay comfy. Honestly, depending upon my mood and how ambitious I am on a particular day, sometimes comfy wins the battle. But in most cases getting the shot will be worth the effort.

I’ve written about Sanderlings before so I’ll spare you a rewrite of information about the species. These images were taken near sunset, along the Crystal Coast as the birds were feeding and the tide was receding. In the first image the sun is coming over my right shoulder, resulting in more of a slide-lit image. I’m sitting with my elbows resting on my knees to brace the camera. I needed a slightly higher point of view in order to capture the reflection. In the second image I’m closer to eye-level with the bird and the sun is closer to being directly behind me. I also fired a flash to fill shadows and get a catchlight in the eye.

I thought I might change things up a bit and talk little about photography and one of the things that separates professionally made images for those shot by camera bugs. Now first let me clarify that I don’t personally think my wildlife photos are “all that.” But I am working to improve that segment of my work. I’ve been fortunate enough to receive a bit of advice from some accomplished wildlife photograpers plus have spent more than a little time reading some wildlife photography forums. I’ve learned a few things through these exposures… such as some of the things that sets professional shots apart from those taken by hobbiests. So, you might be thinking, what is it that seperates the Pros from the Ametuers? Well one asnswer is pretty simple: Point of view or, if you prefer, perspective.

Most shutter bugs snap pictures while standing erect. Now if you think about it, you’re taking a photo of a bird that stands a few inches tall while towering a few feet above. This results in a look that professional nature and wildlife photographer Jared Lloyd refers to as “the duck pond effect.” So for photographing a shore bird, wader or small mammal on the ground, don’t be afraid to lay on your belly to make a photo at… should I say it… birds eye view.

The photo below is of a Sanderling taken on Atlantic Beach in early January. In order to make this image I had my lens and camera mounted on a skimmer ground pod… a low platform used for low point of view images… laying on my belly. Some of the beach walkers looked at me like I was a little silly, but I think the results are worth a little embarassment in front of strangers. If you look through some of my earlier posts you’ll find some additional examples of getting down to the subjects level. So if you want to take your photography to… lame pun warning!… take your photography to another “level” don’t be afraid to get down and dirty.