Golden Elowah
Elowah Falls - Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
Golden light falls across the scene at Elowah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon.
I dedicate this photo to the camera of my buddy Ted Gore.
I had originally shot this composition in a heavy downpour with flat light. It came out okay enough but while I was shooting this Ted had alerted me that his camera wasn't functioning. We had spent the day shooting in some serious rain (for Oregon's standards) and while Ted took precautions to protect his camera (and honestly.. didn't even have it out in the rain much), the wetness permeated his protective barriers and caused damage.
I was feeling rushed. Not only did I want to get his camera into the bag of rice we had in the car.. but I was also worried about my gear. So we hoofed it back, did what we had to do, and called it a day.
I liked this comp enough that I went back two days later in the evening. The rain had stopped, the flow of the water was lighter, and we were treated to a glorious golden light show. The sun was still cresting the canyon wall and it illuminated the foreground trees. The falls is recessed back enough that it was shielded from the light which really helped balance the photo.
Aside from Ted's bad luck and the heavy rain the first day, we had a killer weekend of great spring conditions, awesome people, and good times.
Sorry about your camera, Ted! Photo © copyright by TJ Thorne.