Waterfalls in Oregon Or How Many Holder to Take On a Day Hike

[m00dawg]

Going to be heading up to Oregon and was going to go through one of their state parks that has a number of waterfalls accessible on a fairly short hike. The problem is I don't quite know what to expect in terms of shots (of course I can see what folks have already taken, but lighting, year, etc. etc.). I'm testing out a Lowepro Protactic 450 and noticed that I could potentially pack my Bronica SQ and 80mm lens, and my Intrepid 4x5, 2 lenses for the 4x5, and still have enough room for 12 (maybe 14) film holders (plus the essentials - dark cloth, cable release, light meter, filters).

For the 120, I was thinking of taking HP5, RPX 25, Ektar, Velvia, maybe Rollei's IR. For 4x5 I was thinking of:

Velvia 4
Ektar 4
Rollei IR 4
HP5 4
TMX 8

That puts me right at 12 holders and everything is arranged so it'll fit nicely in PrintFiles. I don't expect to shoot all that but wanted to have options because I don't necessarily know what I might run into.

Bringing the SQ is honestly because I'm nervous about running out of time or film but I kinda think I'd rather leave it in the car. That means I won't necessarily be able to just go back and get it though. I was going to have some spare sheet film in the car and a changing bag if I do end up snapping off tons of images.

That sound right or am I being overly paranoid or crazy?

[Two23]

I was there last year (Columbia Valley.) I didn't bother with lenses/cameras that couldn't shift. I used a Chamonix 045n and a 24mm PC-E lens on my Nikon D800E.


Kent in SD

[Mark Sampson]

To quote Henry David Thoreau; "Simplify! Simplify! Simplify!"

[Robert Oliver]

Remember, what goes down must come up. If you are hiking to Silver Falls, take as many holders as you are comfortable carrying out of the gorge! The hike wasn’t bad, but depends on what you are used to. Plenty of compositions to point at in that gorge. I think I took six holders down with me and could have used a few more shots.

[Drew Wiley]

Gosh you're making it unnecessarily complicated. Too many choices just gets confusing and wastes time and energy. And the sheer quantities : twelve holders for a short hike? Plus med format gear?? Think of view camera work like the objective of a sniper: one good shot is all that counts; and ironically, the machine-gunners and shotgunners often totally miss the target. Think twice: Is this potential shot really going to be worth printing? Otherwise you'll burn out before getting anything good, or just be prematurely exhausted lugging five time more stuff than you really need. And I do know a thing or two about strategizing Northwest waterfall shots. One more thing - having a bunch of gear left in the vehicle while you out walking is
always a potentially expensive risk, esp in a well-known location.

[Vaughn]

I would leave the 120 for color and max out on B&W for the 4x5 -- not a whole bunch of color to take advantage of this time of year. But that's me...I carried a Rolleiflex for color along with my 8x10 (all B&W).

Twelve holders for B&W should keep you busy all day, since you'll be doing some exploring the park for the first time. Breezes and other visitors will keep you on your toes! Run out of sheet film? Head back to the vehicle, break out the SQ and have more fun.

Good luck!

[m00dawg]

Thanks all! Good comments all around! Also beautiful photo, Kent! We're not going there alas (partly because much of the park is still damaged by the last fire). We're going to, uhm...shoot can't remember which part it is, but it has something like 8 waterfalls within a few miles (5 I think on a 1 mile or so loop). Smaller waterfalls but I think I can get some nice intimate scenes. I won't have a long lens with me though (just a 90 and 150) which might limit me. I didn't think about needing to shift but yeah I could see needing to do some of that.

I agree with me over complicating it haha. I expect I'll take more black and white than anything else but I wanted to have color just in case, in part because I really want to nail a shot on Velvia in 4x5 at some point. I've had ok shots in Ektar (though I wish Portra 800 was available in 4x5, it's my favorite look among the Portras) but Velvia remains elusive. IR was for a scene where I thought having white leaves might be neat and plus it's really fun to shoot.

I had thought about just taking TMX and maybe just 2 sheets of Ektar and Velvia each to grossly simplify things down though. If it's real shady I think HP5 might become a factor though. I want to have some flowing water but want to try and keep some detail in at least some shots (as opposed to the painted look). So I was thinking that would mean exposures of around 1" or so was what I was estimating.

[Peter Gomena]

Most of the Cascade waterfalls are in pretty tight surroundings. A 90 and 150 will be all you really need on a 4x5. Long lenses, longer than a 180 or 210, won't be necessary.

[Drew Wiley]

Slow your mental pace enough to spend quality time with potential subjects. If people are around, you'll need patience to wait out them distracting your work. But more important, you need time to study the patterns of light, the breeze, and the specifics of the falling water itself. So many waterfall shots end up generic because these kinds of details, or this form of patient contemplation, is overlooked. It's the quality not the quantity of shots that counts. But I disagree with the "no long lenses needed" advice because some falls can generate a lot of wind and mist, and having some distance might keep your gear dry, plus give another kind of perspective without resorting to a lot of rise. But don't get too worked up about it - use the gear and lenses you are already most comfortable with. Film-wise, Velvia can be a real bear in terms of its often hopelessly high contrast, while Ektar will need a warming 81A etc filter in deep shade. For b&w, I'd stay with the fast ones like TMY400 or HP5.

[Willie]

You can't do everything at once. Cut way back on what you bring and work with it on location. Fewer choices mean more concentration on the image rather than fussing with all the stuff in the pack. You aren't in the military carrying a ruck with others depending on that 70 pounds of arms and explosives, radio and emergency first aid gear. It is camera gear. You can always walk back to the vehicle.

Take less and work with it and I bet you end up with more keepers.