Land of Waterfalls – r3

Just a couple of quick notes on my last post Land of Waterfalls -r2
I’m still trying to get my head around Wordpress and one of the features I’d like to add is to display EXIF data to the photographs. I know when I’m reviewing someone else’s work I like to have a clue as to how they made the shot, and I’m certain many of you feel the same. If any of you who are more familiar with Wordpress know how to implement this feature please share it in a comment or email me at
blogadmin@thehyperfocaldistance.com
From the top down (Keep in mind I had either a 3 stop NG filter or a Circular Polarizer on the lens)
  1. D700, 17-35mm f2.8, 22mm, f20, 0.6 sec, ISO 200
  2. D700, 70-200mm f2.8 VR, 90mm, f18, 1/8 sec, ISO 200
  3. D700, 70-200mm f2.8 VR, 105mm, f16, 1/10 sec, ISO 200
  4. D700, 70-200mm f2.8 VR, 102mm, f22, 4  sec, ISO 200, -0.7 EV
  5. D700, 70-200mm f2.8 VR, 105mm, f22, 1 sec, ISO 200
  6. D700, 70-200mm f2.8 VR, 70mm, f20, 1/5 sec, ISO 200, -1.0 EV
  7. D700, 70-200mm f2.8 VR, 150mm, f22, 1/10 sec, ISO 200
  8. D700, 70-200mm f2.8 VR, 116mm, f22, 6 sec, ISO 200
I was revisiting some of Brian Peterson’s advise and thought the following addressed some of the mistakes I made with my 17-35mm f2.8.
  • “If you don’t begin to see your wide angle lens as a close up lens you will be forever disappointed.”  Which reminds me of wide angle advise I’ve heard before, “If you are not getting the shots you want with a wide angle lens, then you are not getting close enough”.
  • Look for interesting ways of incorporating foreground elements into your wide angle shots. With a bit more imagination I might have seen that the branches that so vexed me at Cove Creek Falls could have made an interesting foreground.
  • Which leads me to my next Homer Simpson moment one which given the title of my blog points to my inexperience. I would have been more successful if instead of focusing on the waterfall I had simply set the lens to its hyperfocal distance.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Land of Waterfalls should find themselves a copy of Kevin Adam’s North Carolina Waterfalls – A hiking and photography guide. Kevin offers some advice on equipment and technique for shooting waterfalls but devotes the majority of the pages to telling you were to find these waterfalls and what we might expect when we get there. Kevin simplified the process of finding the best prospects by dividing North Carolina into 33 different geographical hubs, and then listing the falls within that hub. For each waterfall he gives the reader an overview of the falls and its history, lists stats such as elevation, type and height of the falls, watershed, and the river the falls belongs to.  Kevin rates each fall on beauty, photographabilety, and difficulty in reaching. Kevin goes on to describe how to actually find each of the falls, how difficult the trail is, and suggests some options for getting the best shot of the falls. Maps of each hub show where each fall is in relation to the others, making it easier to plan out a multi fall day. Kevin’s work is pictured throughout the book. 
You can get the book from Amazon by following this link; 

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