Water Never Looks the Same Twice
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Happy Friday, Reader! We spent the week in Cancun thanks to my husband's work. It was a rough week. Just kidding. It was glorious to kick back and relax, listen to the ocean and simply recharge. If you follow the news (which I try hard to avoid) you may have heard about the issues with the cartel and how unsafe Mexico is. That was happening on the other side of the country, and if I had been in Puerto Vallarta I may have been pretty nervous but luckily it was (resort) business as usual in Cancun! I never get tired of those stunning Caribbean waters so let's kick off this week's Friday Five with a favorite from Mexico! 
Capturing the stunning colors of the Caribbean is always a priority! I love the flow of colors from turquoise to navy blue as the water deepens and moves toward the horizon. After months of warm desert tones, this blue felt electric! The other thing I love about this image is the contrast from the calm shore to the waves and on to the dramatic sky. The ocean feels endless, but, in the desert, water feels earned. Let's trade turquoise water for rust-colored cliffs and reflections, and see how the story shifts. I waited for the wind to settle and the reflections to come into focus. Still water creates a mirror effect so patience is key to get the best reflections. Prescott is a bit higher in elevation so water is slightly more plentiful. I love how the warm granite tones blend with the green and blue in the water and add a richness to the image. Still water invites reflection but moving water invites decision. Scroll on to see a favorite waterfall! My first favorite subject was a local waterfall. Traveling has given me access to an almost endless supply of them and I am always thrilled to find a new one. Lemolo Falls is such a magnificent waterfall, I made the decision to capture it from a distance to show off the majesty of the dual horse-tail falls. The image contains layers of movement: the vertical power of the main falls, the softer second tier spilling beside it, and the silky foreground of the river weaving into the foreground. I used a long exposure of 8 seconds with an aperture of f22 to get some motion mixed with my creamy blur. I used the trees to frame the falls and the river to draw your eye into the image. I took this in June of 2019 and it is still one of my favorites. There's a different kind of power in stillness. Let's move on to still waters with some morning atmosphere added in. Not all beauty is loud. Sometimes the landscape whispers to slow down and experience the calm. Even the reflection is subtle, almost blending into the morning mist. We went out hoping to find a moose and came back refreshed and relaxed. And sometimes, the real story isn’t wide…it’s small. Let’s zoom into the details You have to be quick with capturing water droplets. The timing creates the structure by freezing the moment. I think I got lucky with this image because there is a discipline in creating abstract art with water that I just don’t have. This image does inspire me to practice again! Water never looks the same twice. And neither does the way we choose to see it. Or photograph it. 
Water is beautiful to watch, but even more fun to photograph. The way it moves (or doesn’t) completely changes the mood of an image. Here are a few simple things I think about when I’m capturing it. For this image I had to practice patience and brave some water to get the sun setting at Seal Rock in Oregon. Here are 5 tips to help you capture movement in water: • Shoot early or late for richer color I have written several blog posts on capturing waterfalls if you are interested in learning more! Discover the Magic of Tumalo Falls Into the Wild: The Joy of Solo Hiking Chasing Waterfalls in the Southeast Capturing the Magic of Waterfalls at Watkins Glen Following the Sound of Water in East Glacier National Park Until next week!
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