I got inspired to share these images after my friend Jason shared a waterfall image from the island of Hawaii and asked people to share their waterfall shots. It sent me back into the archives and here they are.
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where the geology creates breathtaking drops where rivers flow over volcanic rocks into dramatic gorges.
This first and second images are a perfect example. This is Abiqua falls, located east of Salem Oregon at the end of a super sketchy road and then an equally weird and steep trail complete with a rope to help you climb down a downed log. It's all on private land that the owner has graciously opened to the public so everyone can experience it.
This particular falls is a bowl, with the cascade pouring over a shelf of columnar basalt. The pool extends a good 1-200 feet depending on water levels in the river seasonally. I've been there in summer, in spring (as in this image) and in winter when the trail and road are nearly impassable.
The 3rd and 4th images are Ramona Falls. It lies at the foot of Mt Hood in the Mt Hood National Forest (surprise, surprise!) and is very close to the Sandy river, the largest river coming down the west side of the mountain. This waterfall is made up of a beautiful fan shaped rock outcropping where the water spreads out and creates a lacy, intricate pattern as it flow down the rock face.
One of the most amazing things about this waterfall is the way the late afternoon light creates beams through the adjacent ancient trees that interact with the mist and rivulets flowing through the intricate rock patterns. And when you add focused light to moisture it creates a brilliant prism!
What I'm most thrilled with as a photographer living in this area is the ability to come back time after time to see different flows, different light, and different angles.
I like revisiting things and these are the perfect places to do it.