Living in the Pacific Northwest, this assignment – “Waterfalls” – is right in my sweet spot. The Cascades Range of mountains is aptly named, as heavy snows, glaciers, and temperate rainforest conditions create an abundance of water flowing in its journey to the Pacific Ocean.
Olympic National Park, in the farthest northwest region of the United States, is known for its beautiful glacial rivers and cascades, tumbling down steep slopes from the Olympic Mountains, which dominate the park. One of those rivers is the Sol Duc, which travels some 78 miles from the north side of the Olympic High Divide to its confluence with the Quillayute River and ultimately to the Pacific Ocean.
Sol Duc Falls is an easy hike, accessible by paved road from a turn-off from HWY 101. The iconic shot of the falls is from a bridge that crosses the chasm created by aeons of water flowing through the metamorphic and sedimentary rock, which dominates the area.
My goal was to create a photograph that was different from others I have typically seen, which necessitated some adventurous off-trail navigation. I found a perch downstream that allowed me to shoot up the gorge, creating a shot which is recognizable as Sol Duc Falls, but requiring the observer to study the photograph closely to figure that out.
The early morning light allowed me sufficient time to fine-tune my composition and capture the image I had in mind. Satisfied, I began packing my gear when something caught my attention in my peripheral vision. I looked up and was stunned to see beautiful rays of sun had appeared, streaming through the mist and forest surrounding the falls. I quickly reassembled my gear, recreated the composition I had just fine-tuned, selected my settings and captured this image. I love it.
