Good Thursday Morning!
This is a story about perseverance. Perseverance and luck. And learning.
About 10 years ago, I bought what I thought was a “good” digital camera. A point and shoot Canon A640, 10 mega pixels, and at first I used it the way most people use their cameras. Taking pictures at birthday parties, smiling faces standing on the beach, new cars. Then I decided that I wanted to learn how to take Photographs, not snapshots. I started learning how to use the manual modes on that little guy, I started to figure out how ISO, Aperture, and Time worked in creating images.
And I went to Valley Falls a lot - my daughter loved the playground and the rocks, and I loved the variation in scenery - rocks, water, trees. I learned the basics of waterfall photography there on that little point and shoot. After that first success in the technique, I tried, over and over, to get an image of the falls that I truly liked. I got some I liked better than others, but there were so many that I thought fell short.
Over the years, I returned. I got better gear (but stuck with Canon). I learned about my gear. I kept trying, and some were better than others, but I never took one that felt like a “signature” image of Valley Falls.
And then this year, we went down on a wet, overcast, fall day, and it seemed like this was my chance. 10 years of trying, and learning, and trying some more.
And I came home with what is my personal favorite capture of Valley Falls.
Does that mean I won’t return to try again? No. I’ll be back, to try again.
But at least I can see the progress.
Hope y’all have a great weekend.
Valley Falls (Autumn 2018) - West Virginia