Dark Hallow Falls (Shenandoah National Park)

Dark Hallow Falls is one of the more popular places to go in Shenandoah National Park, and for good reason.  The waterfall is beautiful.  Multiple cascades flow over moss covered stone, through a forest full of changing leaves.

Sort of unrelated back story....

I went to the Mesa Verde Arch in Canyonlands National Park late last fall.  I was not the first to arrive at the parking lot, but the first to the arch, well before sunrise.  There is a bush very near the arch that I hid in front of so that other people/photographers could also enjoy the sunrise from behind me.  It was a wonderful experience full of shutter clicks and the occasional 'that's beautiful' comment from a wife to a husband.  But other than that, it was quiet.  We all showed respect for one another to maximize the enjoyment for everyone that was there....

This day at the waterfall was a bit different.  Maybe people are just more polite out west, but here in Shenandoah I got a bad taste in my mouth regarding the average tourist.
A photographer doesn't show up to a landmark and yell and laugh with his friends, he doesn't let his kids run wild all over the place, he is there to document, and enjoy.  He(hopefully) has others in mind as he does his thing. 
This waterfall was full of loud people, laughing and yelling, kids running all over the place, people stopping for long periods of time to take photos from the trail that also included other people trying to get by.  It was.... crazy... to say the least.
Even as bothered as I was by this, when climbing the different levels of the falls I still naturally tried to stay out of other people's way, as much as I wanted to stand up on the middle tier and shoot right in the center of it, ruining everyone's photographs.  But alas... I resisted these temptations, and resisting temptation is definitely not my forte:)

I will make my next trip to the falls more enjoyable by showing up super early in the morning.  If there are any people there at that time, they are more likely to have the same values as me regarding the enjoyment of nature:)

I write this to encourage you to soak in nature the way it was supposed to be soaked in.  Listen to the sounds of the falling water, watch the occasional leaf be spun around in a whirlpool, feel the same wind that moves the trees so dramatically.  Just take it in, and share:)

The middle tier of Dark Hallow falls.  Shot with the Sigma 50mm 1.4.

A wider perspective of the middle tier. Shot with the Canon 24mm 2.8.

Top tier of the falls, shot with the Canon 24mm 2.8 using a graduated ND filter.

A closer, yet still wide perspective of the top tier of the falls.

Wilson Creek (Grayson Highlands State Park)

There is something about this place...  something totally awesome.   I even feel like a more awesome person when I come here.  I can leave this place and tell people 'I went to the highlands today' and they immediately know that I had a way more badass time then they did.  

Here is a quick double check on what a awesomely awesome park should have, and whether or not Grayson Highlands State Park has what it takes....

EPIC views of the Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee(yes you can see that far) mountains?  Check.

WILD animals, most notably, horses?  Check.

WELL MAINTAINED trails for horses, bikers, and hikers?  Check.

OFF THE CHAIN cascades and waterfalls?  Oh Hell Yes.(our focus for this post)

A classic Virginia view:)

Not too bad of detail for a Pentax k20d + 16-45

As soon as the sun breaks, you are racing it up the creek, trying to get your shots before the rays come in.

Endless cascades on Wilson Creek

Big cascades, watch your step here:)

I'll give you one guess as to how many aperture blades my Sears 135mm has:)  They are painfully straight, as you can see in the bokeh.

Comers Creek Falls

An hour drive and a twenty minute walk is about all it takes to get to here from Piper's Gap, VA.  I took the dog on this little trek not expecting to stay long since the sun was unobstructed as I left the house.

Once I got there, a layer of clouds slowly started to move in, allowing me to shoot the falls with a little more control.  A canopy of trees and a cloudless day can mean some nasty shadows, shadows that render photos worthless in my book.

Here are the images from yesterday's 'dog walk'.
The color in Virginia is only getting better... so stay tuned:)

The noise of this falls is best portrayed in this images(it has a bit of a roar)

If you look REALLY closely you can see little Margot the Yorkie on the bank

The clouds really started rolling in as I left