Filters and Waterfalls

After investing in rather expensive neutral density filter from B+W a few months ago I have spent a while experimenting with this rather special filter. Offering a ten-stop reduction it can be used to slow the mundane down to offer some interesting images. The filter used normally for industrial applications has been one of my favourite filters I have bought so far. 

So this weekend I ventured out to the beautiful location of Ingleton in the North Yorkshire dales. After some research online, one of the attractions of Ingleton was the cascade of waterfalls situated nearby. Enlisting one of my photographic cohorts we set off early on Saturday to get there in plenty of time to shoot.

Hitting the Ingleton Waterfall Trail early (we were one of the first to arrive!) we set off, the trail is 8km or 4 and half miles, and has eight falls along the way. The rain had been heavy in the previous couple of days so the falls were pretty fierce, plenty of spray to get on the front of the filter!

Setting up proved a task; the trail is a rather narrow footpath, in places quite a squeeze- throw in slippery rocks and mud and you have an interesting combination…

With the filter in place and the camera firmly on the tripod the exposures began, most needed at least a 30 second exposure on bulb, shooting at f8 with the ISO dropped to 50. Being in a shady gorge the exposures were all over the place, the brief passages of light from the sun penetrating the moody sky helped out in exposing the dark corners of the shot. With exposures varying depending on the light breaking through, bracketing widely helped.

Moving around the trail, the light got better as the day progressed, by mid afternoon the sun had broken through the early overcast sky.

After a couple of hours out on the trail, we headed back to the car park to get the car and head home. Definitely a place I would return to, I think in the winter with a blend of snow and ice the place would be pretty impressive to shoot. 

Ingleton Waterfalls Trail

Beezley Falls
Canon EOS 1Ds 55s @ f8 ISO 50. Shot at 28mm (EF 24-105 f4L)