John HBeecher Creek Falls
By John Haywood
Beecher Creek Falls in Edinburg is a small, but scenic waterfall that forms on Beecher Creek just before it meets the Great Sacandaga Lake.
The Copeland Covered Bridge spans the creek just downstream from the falls which adds to the picturesque setting.
On this Fall day, I was headed back from a trip with stops in Keene, Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, and Long Lake. Although it was getting late, I decided to try to get to the falls and make a couple photos.
When I arrived, the sun was setting rapidly and shadows were overtaking the falls; I had to work quickly. I made my way to the right side of the creek and set up my tripod with a cable release on the camera. I composed the image I wanted and made the manual settings after getting a meter reading. I needed a longer than usual exposure in order to let enough light through while getting the look of the water I wanted without making the water too bright. This is where the darkness helped.
The fallen leaves dotted the rocky ledges on the waterfall and rocks along the stream adding a nice touch of color to the scene. I used the the flowing water and the rocky creek bed to lead viewers’ eyes to the waterfall where a longer exposure showed water falling in strands over the numerous, small ledges.
I felt I had captured the photograph I had envisioned but time would tell. When I got home, I reviewed the day’s work and went straight to the Beecher Creek photos where I was happy with the results. However, a small branch had crept in on the upper left corner of the image which I had failed to notice in my haste in the dimming light! At first it bugged me horribly, but now I’m more accepting. The lesson: patience.
Camera settings for this image:
Camera: Nikon D7000
Aperture: f/8
Shutter speed: 10 seconds.
ISO: 100
Exposure bias: 0
For more information about waterfall photography, please visit our “Photographing Waterfalls” article.