Inglis Falls

I've saved my favourite recent pictures - in this case of Inglis Falls - to post for Mother's Day.  I've been trying to learn how to get those slow misty photos and this time I think I succeeded.

This was one of my mother's favourite places to take us when we were young.  Our grandparents lived in Owen Sound, so it was usually just a quick stop to look as we passed by.  My sister and I owe a lot to our mother for introducing us so early to the natural world.

A closer look provides a better view of the rainbow over the boulders at the bottom.  Spring flow is still very high; in the past I've scrambled around over those rocks taking pictures of the trickle over the falls in mid-summer.  My great-grandfather is said to have carried his grain to the mill here to be ground into flour.

I think this is my favourite picture of the slow motion water.  To get a picture like this you need to set the camera for a long exposure; this was a full half a second.  Obviously you need a tripod for that if the rock isn't to be a blur in the background..

But trying this I found I was still often getting error messages indicting the subject was too bright.  I read up on it, visited the camera store, and bought a neutral density filter.  This let me cut down the light entering the lens so I could get the long exposure without over-exposing it.  I think that's the trick to shots like this.

I'm thrilled with the results and plan to chase more local waterfalls soon.  I must also get some comparison shots later in the summer.  And I expect the two other waterfalls near here are ones that I first visited many years ago with my mother when she was taking us exploring around Owen Sound.

Hope mothers everywhere had a happy Mother's Day!