The shape of water
A river cascades through the North Carolina mountains.
My favorite places on earth include water—the ocean’s edge, the bend in a shallow river, the base of a waterfall, a waterway to reflect a night cityscape.
Give me a partially submerged sandbar to stand on, or a spit of river stones to set up my tripod. If I’m touching water, I am happy. If I’m getting my feet wet while taking
photos, better still!
Waterscapes make the best photos. The best sunrises are reflected across the sea,
the spindrift tossed by the breakers and in the wet sand that sparkles after a retreating wave.
The best night cityscapes are mirrored in a glass smooth lake. The most interesting
mountain landscapes are cut by wandering rivers and streams. The most dramatic wildlife portraits
occur in the roiling rush of water.
Airborne H2O is just as great for photography. Mist, rolling fog, low clouds, rain. Cue nature’s
smoke machine!
Water is a magnet for light. It glows transparent.
Its presence turns work to play. When it rushes across stones it sings a song that lowers blood pressure. When it cascades into a pool, it fills the air with head-rushing gulps of sweetened oxygen.
Waterfall in Transylvania County, North Carolina-above. Crashing waves along Blowing Rocks Beach Preserve, Jupiter Island, Florida–below.
