Tag: #waterfall

Ice Water for a Hot Day

It’s going to be a scorcher in Southwest Florida today — record breaking 92 degrees in the first week of April. What a perfect time to enjoy the frozen waterfall Skogafoss in Iceland — where I shot these photographs in January.

Be sure to scroll down to enjoy all four photographs. The last one may be your favorite.

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Icebergs at the foot of Skogafoss in the fading light of sunset, in Iceland in January 2023.
Iceland, ice, skogafoss
Icicles cling to the cliff alongside Skogafoss in South Iceland, January 2023.
Iceland, ice, skogafoss
Ice patterns alongside Skogafoss in Iceland just before sunset, January 2023.
Iceland, ice, skogafoss
Photographer who trespassed beyond safety boundaries provides scale at the foot of Skogafoss in January 2023. All images are copyrighted, but also for sale as prints.
Contact Cathy Kelly at cathykellyphotography@gmail.com for prices and options.

Kauai Revisited

The first time I visited Kauai, I flew in for a memorable photography workshop, and my daughter Erin met me there. The next time I visit Kauai, my daughter Erin will be leading me there to make some epic new memories — at her wedding.

As our family books flights and accommodations and looks forward to the big day, I took a look back at my 2014 photos of Kauai. Here is a waterfall image from the “Garden Isle” of Hawaii.

#kauai, #waterfall, #gardenisle, #lush, #hawaii, #photography, #nature, #wilderness, #wedding
You can see why Kauai is called the garden isle. It is not hard to find lush wilderness here.

Surely, our second visit to Kauai in July will offer many new photo opportunities on this beautiful Hawaiian island.

Thank you, America

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans! What a beautiful holiday that brings families together to give thanks. I feel very thankful for my family, my wide and wonderful network of great friends and for this beautiful country where we live in peace and prosperity. Certainly we must pray for peace and prosperity for all people around the world today.

I want to share with you this scene we discovered on a vibrant autumnal afternoon in western New York. My family enjoyed our first visit to Letchworth State Park at the height of fall foliage. How fortunate we were to arrive at this waterfall in the late afternoon.

Most of the time I plan my photo shoots: time of year, time of day. This visit to Letchworth State Park in western New York was serendipitous. Good karma circling back to me during a visit to in-laws.

The “Strenuous Hike”

When someone says “hike,” I immediately think “photoshoot,” and wonder which camera and lens to bring along. So, when a guide says, “strenuous hike,” I immediately become nervous about how heavy my equipment is, and whether I will need two hands for climbing. I also wonder about the huffing and puffing index!

On this 1.5 km hike to Hengifoss in eastern Iceland (not far from Seydisfjordur), I limited my load to the Nikon D800 and my 14-24mm lens to capture wide vistas. As I hiked and panted, I resisted the temptation to ask the downhill hikers how much longer it was.

#waterfall, #iceland, #basalt, #volcanic, #hike, #leadinglines, #rock
The rocky stream bed forms leading lines to the upper falls, the high point of our hike.

Do you see the pink lines in the cliff near the falls? They represent different volcanic eruptions over the years. This hike is a geologist’s dream.

Here an iPhone photo illustrates some detailed information on site:

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While midday is not the optimal time for photography, I was grateful for clear skies. Last week when another group hiked Hengifoss, they endured rain and fog. We enjoyed sights of long and wide vistas and cool temperatures. No complaints!

Gullfoss: Don’t Fall In

The day before we visited Gullfoss (on July 20), a massive and powerful waterfall within a few hours’ drive of Reykjavik, Iceland, a man fell in. I can easily envision this happening, as I was carefully watching my step on wet slippery rocks alongside a steep grassy hillside leading to the falls. That day, I thought to myself, “you don’t survive a fall into Gullfoss.” The 22-year-old man’s body was found miles down the Hvita River nearly a month later. This sad incident is a safety warning to all future visitors.

#gullfoss, #safety, #waterfall, #iceland, #hvita, #tourism, #powerful, #nature
You can see a line of visitors walking the path to get a close look at Gullfoss, as it crashes into a crevice in the foreground.

#gullfoss, #powerful, #nature, #iceland, #waterfall, #safety
This vantage point shows the crevice where the cascade thunders downward. For scale, notice the tourists in the upper right of the photo.

Waterfall Wednesday

This waterfall from the Hawaiian Island of Maui is getting me excited about my trip to Iceland, which is just around the corner — next Wednesday. Waterfalls are plentiful in a volcanic landscape, so I expect Iceland to bear lots of resemblance to Maui, except colder.

I’m ready for rain, waterfalls everywhere, a black sand beach and a few extras like puffins, the midnight sun and some glaciers. I’m packing lots of lenses and guide books and layered hiking clothes, and I am hoping for lots of good photography to share with you.

#waterfall, #waterfallwednesday, #maui, #iceland, #tropical, #hot, #volcanic
The Travel Channel declared today Waterfall Wednesday, so I’m happy to share a waterfall I shot in Maui along the road to Hana in September 2016.

First Day of Winter

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Niagara Falls, from the United States pier on a wintry day.

The first day of Winter may be tomorrow December 21, but the icy cold weather is already here. When I go outside to walk my dog in Sewickley PA, I think about what Niagara Falls looked like after an exceptional winter in April 2015. Brrrr.

Kohala Waterfalls

The Kohala Peninsula on the Big Island of Hawaii is drenched by four meters of rain a year, while the dry side of its mountain range looks parched. On the wet side, you can see some pretty spectacular waterfalls after a good rain, especially from a Blue Hawaiian helicopter.

#waterfall, #hawaii, #bluehawaiian, #photomerge, #nature, #rainyside, #wetside, #nikonD800
Two images merged in Photoshop show the Kohala waterfalls from clifftop to base, as seen from a Blue Hawaiian Helicopter.

Tropical Memories

It’s snowing and blowing outside in Pittsburgh, today, but I am focused on memories of the tropics. This is the highest waterfall and pool of the Seven Sacred Pools in Haleakala National Park in Maui. I could not see over the vegetation myself from the hiking path, but I set the camera and raised it over my head, mounted on its tripod to capture this view.

#waterfall, #maui, #hawaii, #tropical, #tropics, #landscape, #nature, #nikon, #reallyrightstuff
The lush vegetation of the tropics frames the waterfall on Maui on a lovely late afternoon in Haleakala National Park.