The Waterfall

 

It’s April 15, 2026 at about 10 after 5 in the morning. I got here 45 minutes ago and waited for the severe thunderstorms to clear before I could head out. I was treated with a small light show as I prepared to get out and get to work.

The river surging over the stone ledge, heavy and energized by the previous night's storms.

The woods are heavy and quiet this morning, save for the rain. Right as I started down the trail, I saw a pair of deer eyes staring back at me in the beam of my headlamp as another eye flew across the ground opposite of me—probably a rabbit. I had to give a loud clap to get it to move along away from the trail. It should be worth noting that I am not afraid of the deer as I clap, but it’s so that it knows I am there and it moves off the trail. Something I would do for a bear if I’m ever fortunate enough to see one in the wild.

It’s definitely a sloshy, muddy walk today, but I’ve got the tripod and the R5 II with me to see what the falls look like after all that rain.

The Headlamp and the Mic

I’m wearing a headlamp I bought probably a good decade ago for hiking in Arches National Park—because that’s a good reason to dump money into somewhere that is 1500 miles away. I used to find it a bit useless in the Wisconsin humidity—it felt like the mist just reflected the light back at me—but lately, it’s become a staple for these early winter and spring walks. I’m even thinking about using it for my morning bike rides as I find it to be more useful than my cynical mind would ever admit.

I’m also really glad I made the switch to the DJI Mic 3. I tried the "Mini" version for a bit, but I hated being tethered to the phone and having to use a recording app. With the Mic 3, I can record internally and still use my Bluetooth earbuds to talk to Siri or listen to audio without having to pause everything. It just removes the friction from the process. Seamless and bothersome are two of my favorite things; my goal is to simply not be a burden to anyone, so I expect what I purchase to be the same way.

“Seamless and bothersome are two of my favorite things; my goal is to simply not be a burden to anyone.”

Smooth, silk-like strands of water falling in parallel—a quiet abstraction found within the rush.

Waterfall Workflow

The waterfall is running heavy this morning, even more so than yesterday. The runoff has made the rivers shoreline incredibly muddy—something that happens every spring, though nothing like the flood of 2008 when the water was above my knees on these trails. I’m limited on where I can stand because the water level is so high, and the bank is a sketchy mess of slick mud. That’s where lens choices are a plus.

I’m still building the muscle memory for the R5 Mark II. I find myself having to turn on a light just to find the buttons or navigate the menus. I miss that "instinct" I had with my older, simpler cameras where I could operate them in total darkness, but that’ll come with time.

The violent spray and chaotic energy at the base where the falls meet the river.

I managed to get a few shots with the 70-200mm. I bumped the ISO to 1000 and opened up to f/4.5 just to get the shutter speed down to 1/4 second to see some splash. For the wider panoramas, I was able to get it down to 10 seconds. It started raining harder while I was down there, so I had to use the tripod as a staff just to maneuver back up the bank.

Solitude and Observation

The walk reminded me of a morning a few months ago when I ran into three adult coyotes at 4 a.m. They just stood there staring at me, looking completely baffled as to why a human was out there in the snow. Eventually, they trotted off. It was a simple, quiet moment, which is how most of my woods stories go.

I noticed a few other photographers out today, mostly "hunting" for deer. I’ve always felt there was a specific way to photograph animals—usually from a blind. The way some people chase them through the park feels less like observation and more like a hunt. That’s just not for me anymore. If an animal happens to be in the shot, great. If not, I move on.

Intricate ripples forming along the upper crest as the water pulls toward the descent.

The Wrap Up

A few months ago an older lady stopped me to talk—something I normally don’t like doing. She asked me things about myself, and I her. It was enjoyable for the short span of time we connected. I see her often, usually at the tail ends of my hikes, but sometimes when I go after work or just some lazy afternoon I need to digest what I ate. But when I’m here to walk, I’m here to walk.

I ended up with about two miles with the heavy bag today. It’s not a lot, but it’s therapeutic to be out here in the rain rather than cooped up inside doing nothing or thinking about doing nothing.

Signing off on a wet, rainy, and successful April 15th.