Nature Photography Tour – San Juan Mountains Waterfalls
By twhetten, on October 8th, 2008
Nature photography in Colorado is really something. Fall colors are stunning and waterfalls are still falling
Waterfall Below Cinnamon Pass
hard. Photographing waterfalls can be an extremely memorable, especially if you fall in one with your camera and all. Let me start at the beginning.
I decided to get an early start and shoot fall colors on the way to photograph several waterfalls in Yankee Boy Basin above Ouray. I left Cortez early heading north on highway #145 toward Telluride.
I arrived at a scenic pullout on Ralph Lauren’s ranch the Double RL as the sun was lighting the fall colors and mountains. After photographing the fall colors against the snow capped mountains I headed for Yankee Boy.
Once at Yankee Boy I set my Canon 1D Mark III on the tripod, attached my 17mm to 40mm f/4 L lens and hiked the short distance to the first fall I wanted to photograph. I continued to photograph for a couple of hours looking for different compositions and ways of photograph the falls.
Waterfall Below Imogene Pass
Every thing went well and I was able to get numerous photographs before Murphy’s Law took over, “If Something Can Go Wrong, It Will. Well it Did! I tried to reach a small area in the middle of the stream to get the composition I visualized, then “Murphy”.
You got it, as I moved into a position between the two fingers of the falls to photograph the left portion I slipped on the smooth wet rocks falling head first into a pool just large enough for my head and right side. My head and right side were completely underwater. I was able to save my camera gear by holding it aloft in my left hand. I was miserable! However, being an extremely brave and dedicated photographer I picked myself up, staying mid steam and continued to shoot getting several great photographs. I spent another three or four hours shooting the other falls in the area. By the time I finished shooting most of my cloths were dry with a notable exception of my right boot, it was still full of water. I decided to head for home, but Murphy wasn’t through with me yet.
As I started the 4×4 drive out of Yankee Boy the oil cooler on my diesel blew, spewing at least a quart of oil
Waterfall In Yankee Boy Basin
out of the radiator coolant overflow and onto the ground. After waiting for a couple of hours for the tow truck, and a fifty mile wrecker ride to the Ford dealer in Montrose I arrived back in Cortez in a rental car just prior to ten pm. I don’t like Murphy!
Attached are a couple of photographs I’ve taken of Colorado waterfalls as part of my Nature Photography Tours. The waterfall to the right is the one at Yankee Boy. I took this photo after I fell in and was still mid stream.
I you have questions or comments please add them, Tom
Related posts:
- Nature Photography Tour – San Juan Mountains Fall Colors
- Nature Photography Tour – San Juan Mountains Fall Colors
- Nature photography Tour – San Juan Mountains Wild Flowers
- Northern Arizona Nature Photography Tour
- Wildlife Photo Tour
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