The Cascadilla Gorge Trail in Ithaca, New York: Autumn Landscape Photographs and Tips for Capturing Moving Water

"Nature is a source of truth. Experience does not ever err, it 

is only your judgment that errs in promising itself results 

which are not caused by your experiments." 

-Leonardo Da Vinci 

Early this past Saturday morning I spent two hours photographing the Cascadilla Gorge Trail, in Ithaca, New York. The combination of cascading water and autumn color was truly beautiful. As it had snowed the night before, and a cold drizzle fell as I drove to the gorge, I was lucky that the clouds began to clear as I arrived.  While I walked and photographed in the gorge, there was a stretch of nice, filtered light (although it remained quite cold - in the mid-30s) before another stretch of snow later that morning.  I started at the Treman Triangle Park entrance to the gorge (off of Linn Street), and worked my way up the trail.  Below are nine of my new images of the Cascadilla Gorge, followed by several tips to improve your photographs of waterfalls and cascading water.

1) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

2) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

3) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

4) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

5) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

6) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

7) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

8) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

9) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

Tips to Improve Your Photographs of Moving Water

In my images above, I tried to give the flowing water a soft, white, silky appearance (rather than trying to "freeze" the movement).  To create beautiful photographs of the cascading water in Cascadilla Creek, or any waterfall, here are a few tips.

1) Use a Tripod.  As you will need to use slow shutter speeds, its important to avoid camera movement. You want the land, rock and trees to appear crisp and sharp, in contrast the moving water. Whenever I use a tripod, I also use and external shutter release.  This avoids pushing (and possibly moving) the camera.

2) As with any photograph you need to find the correct balance between ISO, shutter speed and aperture.  The key to achieving the silky appearance in moving water is finding the right shutter speed.  For each of the images above, I used the following settings: 

     a) a low ISO (100 or 200).

     b) a slow shutter speed (between three-tenths of a second and

     half a second).

     c) a small aperture (for these images, my aperture ranged 

     between f/14 and f/29).  This allowed a wide depth of field, 

     so both the foreground and background are sharp.

3) Experiment.  Different situations require slightly different settings, so you will need to experiment and make minor adjustments.  After each shot, I checked the image on the LCD to see if the water appeared silky, to see if there was some detail in the water, and to make sure the highlights were not blown (overexposed and all white, with no detail).

4) Vary your composition and emphasis. For some images, I tried to give the viewer a broad perspective of the setting, usually with a wide angle lens.  These images have foreground and background elements (e.g. images 2, 4, 6 and 9).  For other images, I tried to isolate a small section (e.g. images 3, 7, and 8).  Additionally, I tried to incorporate other compositional guidelines (leading lines, rule of thirds, filling the frame, diagonals, etc.).

5) Be Patient.  While I was in Cascadilla Gorge, there were fairly frequent gusts of wind.  If I was shooting a scene with trees, the wind meant that the leaves and branches were moving.  As I was using a slow shutter speed, the leaves and branches would appear blurry in my photograph, and diminish the overall image.  I often had to wait a few moments for the wind to die down.  It generally pays to be patient, take a few shots, and keep checking your LCD.  Similarly, for my landscapes, I usually do not want people in the images.  If folks happen to walk into an area while I am shooting, it pays to wait until they pass out of the frame.

6) You generally want soft, filtered light, so its best to shoot in the early morning or late afternoon.  The early morning has the added benefit of having fewer people along the trail.

I hope these simple tips help to inspire your creativity.

New Orleans in Mardi Gras Season 2017: Photographs of the French Quarter

"Oh when the Saints go marching in

When the Saints go marching in

O Lord, I want to be in that number

When the Saints go marching in..."

(made famous by Louis Armstrong).

My family and I recently spent four days in New Orleans, at the beginning of the 2017 Mardi Gras season.  Much of our evening activity was centered around NBA All Star events, but we still had a great taste of New Orleans:  parades, jazz music, and wonderful cooking, all surrounded by the beautiful and historic architecture.  I had plenty of time (usually in the very early morning, before most of our crew was awake) to walk around and photograph the French Quarter, hours before it got bustling.  

As you look through my French Quarter photographs, enjoy a cup of coffee (preferably a "cafe au lait" from Cafe Du Monde) and have it with some delicious beignets.  If you're ready for something more substantial, perhaps try a bowl of seafood gumbo, or crawfish étouffée, or some jambalaya. For dessert you might try bananas foster or bread pudding or key lime pie.  In any case, here are a few of my new photographs of the French Quarter.

This post is in memory of out wonderful dog, Roger, who died less than a week before our trip to New Orleans.  Roger's sweet, playful, and always friendly disposition brought joy to our family for eight years, and we greatly miss him.

St. Louis Cathedral and the Cabildo in early morning light.
Chartres Street, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Treme jazz band performing in parade on Bourbon Street.
New Orleans, Louisiana.

"Touchdown Jesus" before sunrise.  Back of the
St. Louis Cathedral.  Pere Antoine Alley (off of
Royal Street).  New Orleans, Louisiana.

French Quarter Balcony with Flower Baskets,
Royal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Homeless man on Bourbon Street.
New Orleans, Louisiana.

Cafe Du Monde, Decatur Street,
New Orleans, Louisiana.

Early morning at the corner of Royal Street
and Ursuline's Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana.

Dixieland jazz performers on Royal Street.
New Orleans, Louisiana.

Bicycle on Toulouse Street, New Orleans, Louisiana.

French Quarter Balcony on Royal Street.
New Orleans, Louisiana.

Washington Artillery Park Cannon, Jackson Square, and
St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Storyville Stompers performing in parade
on Bourbon Street, New Orleans.

Tableau Restaurant in early morning light.
St. Peter Street, New Orleans. 

Ready for Mardi Gras!
French Quarter house, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Mardi Gras Dog.  Royal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Molly's Bar on Toulouse Street, early morning.
New Orleans, Louisiana.

Looking for business?  Doorway on Bourbon Street.
New Orleans, Louisiana.

Statue of Andrew Jackson in morning light (in front of the
St. Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, New Orleans, Louisiana).

Silver man with cigarette on Bourbon Street.
New Orleans, Louisiana.

Tujague's and Balconies on Decatur Street in morning light.
New Orleans, Louisiana.