Bridal Veil Falls from the Richardson Highway, near Valdez, Alaska. Keystone Canyon, Lowe River, Chugach Mountains, Central Alaska waterfalls. To view a larger version of the photo, please click on the thumbnail.
Hey Folks,
Here’s a photo I took this spring on a quick trip down the Richardson Highway to Valdez. Kind of a spur of the moment thing, I took off from Glennallen one rainy, nasty morning to revisit the area. I hadn’t been down to Valdez in years, and so it was a nice way to spend what looked like might be a day of dreary weather. I also wanted to photograph a couple of the waterfalls along the road, this one and Horsetail Falls as well, which is just around the bend from Bridal Veil Falls.
This kind of location is difficult to shoot, for me, as the scene doesn’t offer a lot of options regarding a vantage point. The river in the foreground, Lowe River, is uncrossable, unless you have a boat. I, of course, did not have a boat with me. So the photographer here is pretty limited to shooting from across the river, and that makes it difficult to come up with any compositional variations.
Similarly, without a heavy overcast day, including the sky wasn’t a great option either. The road runs immediately behind where I shot this image from, so backing away would drastically change the nature of the photo, by including the road in the foreground. Not necessarily a bad thing, but that wasn’t what I was looking for. Perhaps I’ll go back one day in better conditions and shoot it again, with the road and a motor vehicle in the foreground, as a ‘travel photo‘.
I actually climbed the west wall of the canyon quite a ways, trying to find another vantage point. I found a spot to shoot from, but didn’t manage to make an image that I liked. Sometimes the generic is the best option for a good reason.
I shot this scene a little, headed on down the road to Horsetail Falls, photographed that, ventured further south to Valdez, enjoyed fresh Halibut, fries and a latte, and then turned to drive back north. On the return drive, I noticed this tiny sliver of blue sky open up, and thought I’d reshoot Bridal Veil Falls while the sky was something more (if only a little) than battleship gray. That’s when I took this photo.
Cheers
Carl
Pingback: Tweets that mention Bridal Veil Falls photo, Keystone Canyon, Lowe River, Valdez, Richardson Highway, Alaska waterfalls | Skolai Images Stock Photo Blog -- Topsy.com
I know what you mean, I have shot these falls many times. This is probably one of the better composed shots. Well done.
You were wise to return & re-shoot! I think that touch of blue sky really adds to the image. I only the fireweed was in bloom!..
Hey Mike,
Thanks, I appreciate it.
Hey Steve – Yeah, I wished the fireweed was in bloom too. Maybe I should head back on down there. 🙂
Cheers
Carl
This photograph is absolutely beautiful….There’s something about getting out in nature with the challenge of capturing some of the amazing beauty around us.
Over the past year, I have found myself in the freezing cold, (I’m from Canada) braving snowfalls, and sliding over the ice in winter, then attacked by mosquitoes and black flies in summer, all in the hopes of capturing a glimpse of nature’s beauty with my camera…
Hi Carl, my father landscape photographer Philip Hyde photographed that falls in 1971, but his images were made from completely different viewpoints and there was a lot less water in the falls at the time we were there. His photos have an etheric quality and a certain beauty. On the other hand, I like your composition a lot. It is amazing how such different photographs can be made of the same falls. Your photograph beautifully takes in some of the surroundings and flavor rather than just being about the falls. At this point some waterfall images are cliche, or at least overdone, but yours is an excellent, inviting and well-balanced image. It just shows that there is always someone able to do similar subjects in completely new ways.
Hey David
Thanks for your note and kind words. Your dad made some amazing images from all over – great work, and a great man.
Hey Marilyn,
I totally agree – getting out there is what it’s all about. Great to hear you’ve been doing it a good bit over the last year. Here’s to many more of them! (well, not too many mosquitoes) 🙂
Thanks for the comments,
Cheers
Carl