Many photographers enjoy photographing waterfalls from tripods at very slow shutter speeds, creating a velvet-like flow of water to express movement. I can’t deny the beauty and appeal of interpreting nature in this way, but this technique, repeated over and over, soon becomes a cliché. I much prefer to shoot hand-held and use a fast shutter speed to stop the action of falling water, allowing the water to take on a variety of contrasting shapes and deliver a wealth of detail to study. This image of Gibbon Falls was made at 1/800th of a second, fast enough to freeze the surges and isolate the gout of water as they make their way down the side of the rocky cliff. I also found vantage point where I could contrast the flowing water to the dry cliff at left, featuring two huge dead trees hanging on to its surface like match sticks. I use my spot meter to expose for the brightest water, allowing the background shadows to turn more of the falls into a deep blue color. I run the image diagonally through the frame, creating a shape like a giant beard.