Taughannock Falls
Just a short drive from Ithaca, NY, I visited the tallest waterfall in the state. And of course it rained the entire time.
Less than a mile walk through the woods, along a riverbed, leads you to the base of the tallest single drop waterfall East of the Rocky Mountains. Completely surrounded by 250’+ tall gorge walls, you find yourself eye to eye with an impressive natural wonder right in the heart of the Finger Lakes region. This was the first time I stood at the foot of the impressive Taughannock Falls.
Of course, it rained. There is nothing wrong with rain, but some have compared me to a pampered feline with my distaste of precipitation. Getting wet is not something I’m accustomed to with my corner office and climate-controlled environment. Though my camera gear is created to withstand extreme weather conditions, I am not.
A consistent concern of mine is that weather conditions will not produce the ideal lighting. As lighting is typically the most impactful element to any photo, it almost feels is if going to impressive landscape locations during less-than-ideal weather conditions is a waste. All that effort to hike out to Taughannock Falls, compose the best shot, and then the post processing is pointless. Hmm, sounds like my perspective is a bit skewed.
My hypothesis: It’s possible to take decent photos in all conditions of lighting and weather. Oh, it’s raining? New challenge. What can I do with the diffused lighting, moody textures, and glistening drops on my lens that I frantically try to dry off? Fun fact, being at the base of a waterfall means wind and water are constantly hitting you in the face.
But why not work those conditions to your advantage? The colors are muted, the sky is a flat gray, and moisture in the air makes everything less sharp. Let’s work with it instead of trying to force the “ideal”. Grab those moody textures, highlight those glistening water droplets, turn those muted colors into contrasting black and whites. You may just end up with your favorite photo of the year.