Growing Pains

On a bright summer day right at noon, this spot is absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, the same thing that makes it a great place to visit also makes it a real pain to photograph. There's so many different sources that it's very difficult to get just the right amount of light so that you don't blow out the CCD but you still capture the detail in the shadows. Unfortunately, with Lee Filters being on backorder for their foundation kit, it doesn't seem like I'll be getting a graduated ND filter like I need for a while, either.

Funny thing is, that's not the only problem with this shot. To get here you have to set up literally on rocks which are very near the water -- so near in fact that they are quite wet and you have to be extremely careful or you're going to have a nice little swim.

But if you think I was crazy for trying to stand on those rocks, you should have seen some of the other people here, like one person who decided sitting in the river at the top of about a 50 foot drop was a neat idea (and he did in fact wave to me while taking that shot, too).

No, I didn't try that nor do I recommend it to anyone else (in case any family members or lawyers are present).