Searching For WaterfallsI have made nice images of waterfalls in my travels around the USA. But right here in my home state of Washington, 40 minutes from Seattle, is a waterfall that is 100 feet higher than Niagara Falls. It's the 268-foot Snoqualmie Falls.
Snoqualmie Falls was a popular tourist attraction well before the power station was built. The site was sacred to members of the Snoqualmie and Yakima Indian nations, who met near the falls for trading and winter camping. For more than 100 years, the falls have provided power and inspiration for millions of people.
The falls are located next to the Salish Lodge in Snoqualmie Falls Park. The Lodge is a posh resort nestled in a scenic area at the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. It's just a few miles from I-90, just minutes from Seattle, yet it seems worlds away from the hustle of the city.
The best time of year to shoot the falls is in May. The winter weather has usually cleared by then and the sun stays out long enough to offer some great late afternoon shooting possibilities. The falls are best photographed an hour or so before sunset. The low light comes across the gorge to perfectly illuminate the water. There are no unsightly shadows, which are a problem during the mornings and early afternoons.
I focused on several views of the area including the gorge, which features the big falls, and a smaller backwash falls. You can also isolate just the falls or the rocks below. Let your creative imagination flow.
On clear days, you will be able to use normal contrast film like Agfa's 100 speed B&W or Fuji Acros film. If you go on an overcast day, take Ilford Pan f 50 film, which will noticeably bump up the contrast. Digital cameras will also offer great results since you can generally underexpose to hold detail in the highlights, and restore shadow detail using Photoshop.
You can also move on to the town of Snoqualmie to photograph the old train graveyard if you are into railroading and have time for a side trip. Hotel rooms at the Lodge run from $250 to $1,000 a night and if you can afford them, they are worth it. If you are on a budget, you'll find some inexpensive options in nearby North Bend, just five miles east of the falls exit on I-90. Hotels there are usually in the $75 range.
If you want information on the area, I found the people at the Salish Lodge to be very accommodating. There are also many other scenic vistas on Snoqualmie Pass and in the surrounding area. But I was after the falls and found the trip to be a pleasant one that produced nice images for my collection.
Contact Information:
55 Hikes Around Snoqualmie Pass: Mountains to Sound Greenway Click the "Hotels" tab and enter your desired city to look for available hotels About The Author: Scott Bourne is the author of 88 Secrets to Selling & Publishing Your Photography Scott regularly lectures on a variety of photo and media-related subjects. He's appeared on national television and radio programs and has written columns for several national magazines. He is the publisher of Photofocus.com, an online magazine for serious photographers and also serves as the executive director of the Olympic Mountain School of Photography in Gig Harbor, WA.
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Photographers have two basic choices for falls photos. Choose between an observation platform built in 1968, and a three-hour round trip hike to the base of the falls. I had limited time so I opted for the easiest route, a jaunt 1,000 feet from the Lodge to the observation platform. The deck hangs over a sheer drop of three hundred feet and offers a panoramic view of the falls, the river gorge and the forest. You can use both a super wide angle lens (20mm) and a medium telephoto (200mm) to get panoramic and close up shots of the falls. You will want to use a 
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