Flash Flood Benefit

Gallery: Man & NaturePosted March 7, 20046,323 views14 comments

I headed down to Hocking Hills with a friend one day in late May and found when we got there that many roads were closed due to heavy rains and flash flooding. The effect on the trails was devistating. Water destroyed all of the foot bridges in the gorge at Old Man's Cave and Cedar Falls. It took the bridges at Conkles Hollow and to the picnic area at Ash Cave off of their foundations. Fortunately, the trail to Ash Cave was still open. The waterfall at the cave was many times bigger than I had ever seen it. A hike to the top revealed that at the height of the runoff, the falls had been twice this wide!

Nikon F2, 24mm Nikkor, Kodachrome 64

Comments

14 comments

Comment posted by James Hersey on March 7, 2004 at 6:24 PM

Outstanding shot, I really like the person in the frame to give a sense of scale. The lighting on the person is wonderful. Was this a pre-planned image?

Registered on November 9, 2003, 17 Posts, 134 Comments

Comment posted by Dane Glueck on March 7, 2004 at 7:15 PM

Very well done. Great story. A great picture without the person, but the person adds the sense of scale that really makes the image.

Registered on November 10, 2003, 193 Posts, 1748 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Rhodus on March 7, 2004 at 8:25 PM

Skip I really like this image. I too love the scale created by the observer in the light. You have captured the sense of being in the cave well, but my eyes are drawn to the vivid black cave roof where it meets the foliage. Would it have been possible to position a 1 stop ND grad vertically over the foliage and falls to get just a little more detail in the cave ceiling? I'm still new at this and wonder if anyone does that. Anyway I like what you've captured here.

Wayne
Basehor, KS

Registered on November 16, 2003, 157 Posts, 3326 Comments

Comment posted by Dave Uhlig on March 7, 2004 at 9:23 PM

Skip, very solid work. I agree with Wayne that the upper left of the image is a bit dominant. This scene is really awesome and I like how you have set it up. I think you could get away with a crop along the top and not hurt the image too much. Very well done Skip. Great shot.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 304 Posts, 1567 Comments

Comment posted by Nathan Buck on March 8, 2004 at 11:57 AM

Skip:

Very cool image. With the person looking up at the falls there is some extra interest with this shot. I played with some crops and I actually like about 3/4 to 1 inch cropped off the top. IMO it takes a little of the dominance away from the left side. The light in this is excellent.

Nathan

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1101 Posts, 13589 Comments

Comment posted by beth summer on March 8, 2004 at 6:30 PM

Super duper, Skip

Love the lighting on the person, agree about the top crop, water flow is great...everything is great about this and I'd be happy to have thjis in my portfolio!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 437 Posts, 5220 Comments

Comment posted by Greg Scott on March 8, 2004 at 6:46 PM

I don't want to start a "theological" battle here, and think that there's not any one right way to do it, but I'd also like to see an exposure that's not so "slow". Do you have any that capture a more "liquid" feel to the water, rather than the "misty" slomo effect? What do you think? WHy did you choose this? Perhaps it was dark enought that this was the only reasonable choice.

Registered on January 3, 2004, 36 Posts, 57 Comments

Comment posted by Skip Layman on March 8, 2004 at 7:01 PM

This was a case where I didn't have a lot of choice about shutter speed. The sky was still very dark, and Ash Cave is a dark place anyway. With a faster ISO, I might get something different. For those who recommended the crop, thanks. I agree that it improves the shot. I was so fixed on portraying the feeling of the cave, that I took in too much at the top.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 558 Posts, 1704 Comments

Comment posted by William H Fissell on March 8, 2004 at 9:49 PM

Skip,

I like it with the ULH corner intact-- I like the cave. I wonder if there was any chance of a fill flash with a diffuser just to bring it out of inky black.

Will definitely put this on my checklist of buckeye sights to see.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 39 Posts, 342 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Hudon on March 8, 2004 at 10:26 PM

Well, this is not very critiquish but simply an "atta boy"!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 315 Posts, 2246 Comments

Comment posted by Juza on March 9, 2004 at 3:41 PM

Hi Skip,
without the man it would be an unusual waterfall shot, nice but not spectacular. Instead the man add a lot of interest and creates and astonishing sense of scale. A First rate image!!!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 374 Posts, 10466 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Fach on March 14, 2004 at 10:08 PM

Skip: I have no idea how I "skipped" this one. Congrats on the EP - well deserved. The person is the perfect element. I would not have guessed the scale without him in the scene. Great job. ><>

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1805 Posts, 26981 Comments

Comment posted by Bob Elliot on March 16, 2004 at 9:40 AM

Skip, congratulations on your award for a great capture. Lighting and scale is superb.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 126 Posts, 540 Comments

Comment posted by Vito Paratore on October 10, 2004 at 7:41 PM

ok...this is one image i've seen in a couple weeks, that i'd consider a "perfect" shot...
beautifully composed, GREAT scale, spotlight on the subject, GORGEOUS waterfall, and best of all...NO blown out parts...(gotta love cloudy days ;) )

i have one tip for this one...
crop out the left half...that dude ruins the shot...
HAHAHAH
lol
jk jk jk

beautiful work...most definetely one to print and hang out...in multiple rooms...at multiple houses :)
Vito

Registered on September 18, 2004, 42 Posts, 349 Comments