Through The Lens 162 – Great Falls Ice

Posted on January 18, 2019 by Michael Summers

Some ice formations on a small section of Great Falls from a cold snap a couple of years ago.

Through The Lens 126 – Glade Creek Grist Mill

Posted on May 11, 2018 by Michael Summers

The Glade Creek Grist Mill is a popular photo location in Babcock State Park in West Virginia. Definitely worth a stop if you’re in the area.

Through The Lens 92 – Elakala Falls

Posted on September 15, 2017 by Michael Summers

Another waterfall located in Blackwater Falls State Park, Elakala Falls is actually a series of four waterfalls as Shay Run drops into Blackwater Canyon. The upper portion shown above, is visible from a bridge directly above the Falls. Getting to the bottom requires some effort. I also made it down to the second section but couldn’t find the trail to the sections below that. Based on the trail descriptions I’ve seen, getting to the lower two sections is very difficult.

Through The Lens 91 – Blackwater Falls

Posted on September 8, 2017 by Michael Summers

Blackwater Falls is located in Blackwater State Park near Davis, West Virginia. The Falls occurs where the Blackwater River, named for its tannin darkened waters, drops into the Blackwater Gorge and is the largest of several in the park.

Through The Lens 90 – Cucumber Falls

Posted on September 1, 2017 by Michael Summers

Cucumber Falls is located in Ohiopyle State Park in Pennsylvania and is the result of Cucumber Run falling into the gorge carved by the Youghiogheny River. A staircase leads to the base of the Falls making it a popular location to photograph.

I had also hoped to visit Jonathan Run Falls and Sugar Run Falls while I was there, but the trails were closed due to the bridges being washed out. Hopefully they’ll be repaired soon. If time allows I may make another trip to Ohiopyle this fall.

Through The Lens 42 – Spruce Flats Falls

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Michael Summers

Some fall color from the archives – Spruce Flats Falls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Trip Report – Great Smoky Mountains National Park 2015 – Part 1 – Waterfalls & Cascades

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Michael Summers

Following the Cass Fall Photography Workshop, I made the trip down to Pigeon Forge to see the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for the first time. My two priorities for the trip were spending time in Cades Cove and shooting as many waterfalls as possible. While I was successful on the first goal, sunny weather all week made waterfall photography a challenge. But the sunny weather brought great sunsets and clear night skies on Clingman’s Dome so like all photography adventures, it was just a matter of chasing the light.

To keep the length reasonable, I’m going to split the trip report into three sections: Waterfalls & Cascades, Sunsets & Night Photography and Cades Cove.

First up is Waterfalls. As I mentioned earlier, many of the waterfalls are difficult to shoot on bright sunny days. Dappled light and harsh shadows make for a difficult exposure, so instead of hiking the waterfalls back to back as I planned, getting decent waterfall shots became a game of shooting in the shadows. After some quick research on the topography surrounding the waterfalls, I was able to guess when the surrounding hills would leave them in shadow, making for an easier exposure.