Spring

Spring in Arkansas is usually relatively short-lived, but it’s absolutely fantastic while it lasts. After several months of cold winter, springtime is both refreshing and rejuvenating. I love making photographs during the spring.

Springtime exudes new life and a sense of relaxing tranquility. Trees turn a deep green, flowers explode with color, and sounds of birds and other wildlife abound. It’s that combination of new life and tranquility that I try to capture in my photographs.

I made this image during my recent trip to the Old Mill, and it’s one of my favorite shots from that location. When I first arrived, I was originally a little disappointed with the overall lack of color compared to some of my previous visits. But, it turned out to be an advantage because it allows the colors that are present to really stand out. In addition, the colors don’t overwhelm the other elements in the image, such as the waterfall or stone steps. Because no single element is dominant, I find this to be a very harmonious and peaceful photograph.

However, probably the most important element of this photograph isn’t the colors or the waterfalls. It is the soft, even lighting provided by the cloudy, overcast sky. Had the day been bright and sunny, the lighting would have created too much contrast. That contrast would have made it impossible to capture detail in both the highlights and shadows.

In high contrast situations in which nothing is moving, the HDR, or high dynamic range, technique can be an excellent tool. However, HDR was not an option in this case because of a lightly blowing breeze. The breeze would have caused all the leaves and flowers to blur. That blur would have, in my opinion, ruined the photograph.

Settings: 100mm, 0.5 sec, f/32, ISO