Sea Creek Falls – Georgia

I recently visited Sea Creek Falls near Suches, Georgia. The falls are isolated and the area doesn’t seem to be heavily used. If you’re looking for quiet solitude this would be a pretty solid bet. These beautiful falls are certainly worth a visit if you can make the time.

Some of the online directions can be misleading. But, shortly after turning left onto FS264 from GA-60, you’ll be presented with a sharp bend to the right where you can ford the creek in your vehicle or you can park on the left. Just park on the left and there is a decent trail that runs a short 0.3 miles to the falls. There were large sections of the trail pooled with water and we hadn’t had much rain at the time I visited. You’ll also need to wade part of the creek to get a good perspective. So, I highly recommend wearing your waterproof shoes.

I captured this image using my 24-70mm f/2.8, tripod mounted and using a circular polarizer. I capture GPS coordinates with my outdoor captures. If you need exact GPS coordinates for the sites I visit you can find them at my flickr location. Thanks as always for stopping by.

Long Creek Falls – Georgia

I’d visited Long Creek Falls on the Appalachian Trail back in the spring. It was a terrible day for photography. The sun was bright and well into the afternoon sky. There were shadows cast everywhere from the dense forest canopy that was above me. I took the time to enjoy the time spent in the outdoors, but there was no hope for decent captures of the falls.

I went back last week knowing the early morning hours would be best. Even though I hit the trail later than I had planned to, there was a thick blanket of grey clouds overhead that allowed me to shoot at my leisure. It was a wonderful day to be outdoors with my camera.

I captured this image using my 24-70mm f/2.8, tripod mounted and using a circular polarizer. You can see an image from my previous visit here. Thanks as always for stopping by.

Dodd Creek – Georgia

One of my favorite hikes in 2014 was along Dodd Creek in White County, Georgia. The hike to Raven Cliff Falls is certainly one of the most picturesque in the area. I came back from that 2 mile hike with several gallery images.

I captured this image using my 16-36mm f/4, tripod mounted and using a circular polarizer. You can find this image along with several others in the gallery images at my site. Thanks as always for stopping by. I hope you all had a great 2014.

Fall Branch Falls – Georgia

I just visited Fall Branch Falls near Blue Ridge, Georgia. It’s a fairly short and easy hike to get to falls. It’s uphill on the way in to the falls, which is nice. There’s a clear pool at the bottom of the falls that adds to its beauty.

I captured this image using my 16-35mm f/4, tripod mounted and using a circular polarizer. You can find this image and more in my gallery collection. Thanks as always for stopping by.

 

Falls on Crow Creek in Autumn

Of all the falls I visit regularly, the falls on Crow Creek near Lakemont, Georgia are rapidly moving to the top of my favorite list. I have yet to visit them and be interrupted by anyone and it is an extremely peaceful location. I can take my time and really enjoy the entire process. As I sit and review my captures, I am already looking forward to my next visit.

I captured this image using my 24-70mm f/2.8, tripod mounted and using a circular polarizer. Thanks for stopping by.

Minnehaha Falls in Autumn

Minnehaha Falls near Lakemont, Georgia is one of my favorite falls to visit in north Georgia.  It would be difficult to tire of such a terrific place. Best of all, I always return home with some great images.

I captured this image with my 16-35mm f/4, tripod mounted and using a circular polarizer. Thanks for stopping by as always.

Autumn in the Blue Ridge Mountains

I’ve been able to get out and explore this week. The leaves are changing in the North Georgia mountains. What is normally a beautiful area becomes truly stunning with the changing colors.

I captured this image of Dicks Creek Falls using my 24-70mm f/2.8mm, tripod mounted and using a circular polarizer. Thanks for stopping by.

Ammons Falls – Georgia

I recently visited Ammons Falls near Clayton, Georgia. It is in close proximity to Holcomb Creek Falls. I’d visited Holcomb Creek Falls just a few months ago but, due to time constraints I was not able to continue on to Ammons Falls. So, on this visit, Ammons Falls was my primary objective. I’m happy I visited them. The trail ends on a viewing platform. I was comfortable and enjoyed quiet solitude for the duration of my visit.

I captured this image using my 16-35mm f/4, tripod mounted and using a circular polarizer. Thanks as always for stopping by.

Falls on Dodd Creek – Georgia

I have hiked the trail to Raven Cliff Falls in Georgia once previously. At the time it was late in the day and it was more or less a race to reach the falls before the sun had set. On that trek, I passed incredible scenery along the way that I could not stop to appreciate and capture with my camera. With that said, it has been on my list for quite some time to visit the trail again to attempt to capture Dodd Creek.

The trailhead is located on Richard Russell Scenic Highway in White County, Georgia near Helen in the Chattahoochee National Forest. I have walked many trails in this part of the country and this trail is particularly beautiful. It is also very, very busy. Anyone seeking solitude should visit on a weekday. The trail is teaming with hikers, campers and adventure seekers most weekends.

To get this particular capture I had to leave the main trail. I was able to ford the creek to the far side to get closer to the falls. But, to get this angle on the falls, I had to remove my shoes and socks and roll my pants up to my thighs and wade across the creek back to the other side. The water was very cold even this late into summer. But, I was able to get my shot and I am very pleased. I captured this image using my 24-70mm f/2.8, tripod mounted and using a circular polarizer. You can see this image and more of my gallery images on my site at http://www.tobygant.com/Gallery/. Thanks as always for visiting.

Denton Branch Falls – Georgia

My first attempt to locate Denton Branch falls was not a success. I recently made another attempt to locate them. Fortunately, I was able to locate them this time. And I’m very happy I was able to locate them.  It is a beautiful area and a beautiful waterfall.

For anyone who cares to visit, there are conflicting instructions on finding the location. Driving through Tate City, you will pass Chappel Ln on the right. (It is marked with a sign.)  The very next right is the “road” that leads to the trailhead. It is not marked with a sign. There is a sign on the opposite side of the street that marks a gated private drive. (River Run N.) When you see the sign on the left, take the unmarked road to the right. The road is very uneven grade. I would suggest taking a vehicle with higher than average ground clearance. Or find a place to park shortly after leaving the main road.

I captured this image using my 16-35mm f/4, tripod mounted and using a circular polarizer. Thanks for stopping by.

Another Attempt at Toccoa Falls – Georgia

Photographing nature within certain “hours of operation” is tricky at best. As you most likely already know, light is everything in photography. My first attempt to capture Toccoa Falls was in the late afternoon and the lighting was simply impossible. I decided to be there when they open the doors and see what I found. They don’t open the doors until 10:00 AM EDT.  The sun is already very high in the sky at that time. The morning light is almost as bad as the afternoon light.

With all that said, I used the LR Enfuse plugin in Lightroom 5 to create a HDR image from only two different exposures. The first I exposed for the cliff face that was in the direct sunlight. The second I exposed for the trees to the right that were in the shadows. I captured this image using my 24-70mm f/2.8, tripod mounted and using a circular polarizer. Thanks for stopping by.

Mud Creek Falls – Georgia

This is my third visit to Mud Creek Falls near Sky Valley, Georgia. On my previous visits I always returned with some great images but, never of the actual falls. Perseverance payed off and on my visit over the weekend, I was able to capture the essence of the falls and bring back some great images.

I captured this image of the falls using my 16-35mm f/4, tripod mounted and using a circular polarizer.

Return to Stonewall Creek Falls – Georgia

I visited Stonewall Creek Falls for the first time in September of last year. Although it is a beautiful area, the lighting was mixed on my first visit. I just found an opportunity to return and found much better light. I was rewarded with some great captures and I’ll look forward to returning again. If you were to visit these falls with capturing images in mind, I’d suggest the early evening hours.

I captured this image using my 24-70mm f/2.8, tripod mounted and using a circular polarizer. Thanks for stopping by.

A Different Perspective – Holcomb Creek Falls – Georgia

Climbing over a couple of boulders and a fallen tree gave me a very different perspective of Holcomb Creek Falls. I think pool of collected water formed from the constant spray of the falls lends itself to create an interesting composition.

 

I captured this image using my 16-35mm f/4, tripod mounted and using a circular polarizer. Thanks for stopping by.

 

Holcomb Creek Falls – Georgia

I had an incredible time exploring Holcomb Creek Falls near Clayton, Georgia over the weekend. It was a beautiful hike and the fall was stunning.

I captured this image using my 16-35mm f/4, tripod mounted and using a circular polarizer. For this capture, I had to balance the tripod on the rails of the footbridge at the base of the falls. The bridge was too narrow to set up my tripod properly.  I hope everyone else found the opportunity to get out and explore also. Thanks for stopping by.

Exploration Just for the Sake of It

What began as a well thought out plan to capture an image of Denton Branch Falls – Georgia, turned unexpectedly into a long hike exploring in North Carolina. The directions that I had from the web, were less than accurate. The roads were not all marked. The GPS names for the roads did not match the names of the roads that did have signs. So, I simply drove as far as I could drive down the main road. It lead to a small parking area and a trailhead. I grabbed my gear and started hiking. I explored the area and took a few shots. It was all about exploration at the time. I didn’t know what I would find.  It wasn’t until I returned home and looked at the GPS coordinates that I realized that I hadn’t even been exploring in Georgia. But, that I was actually in North Carolina for the entire hike. I guess no one has ever felt the need to mark the state line with a sign.

Needless to say. I never found Denton Branch Falls. If anyone has some good directions they would like to share, I’d love to visit the falls. Otherwise, they’re likely to move down my list. I guess I’ll look for them on a day that I wake feeling the need to explore and drive in circles.

After reviewing my EXIF data with my GPS coordinates, I discovered that this is an image of Chimney Rock Branch – North Carolina just before it reaches the Tallulah River. I captured it using my 24-70mm f/2.8, tripod mounted and using a circular polarizer. Thanks as always for stopping by.

Falls on Dodd Creek – Georgia

The trail leading to Dukes Creek Falls follows Dodd Creek.  Almost a half mile into the hike to the main falls you have a view of these smaller falls on Dodd Creek. Personally, I preferred them to the much taller Dukes Creek Falls. But, no matter what your preference is, this site has something for everyone.

I captured this image using my 70-200mm f/2.8, tripod mounted and using a circular polarizer. As always, thanks for stopping by.

 

It’s Official…

If there was any doubt, the spring season has arrived in northern Georgia. I’ve been spoiled during the winter months. With very little exception, I’ve been alone at most of the remote locations where I shoot. It is great when you don’t have to compete with others for real estate. It’s also a bit more serene shooting in solitude. Don’t take it the wrong way, I enjoy a pleasant conversation as much as the next guy. I’ve met many kind and considerate people with similar interests over the years. While I can say I find positives in both scenarios. I certainly do enjoy the winter months when it is usually just me and my camera.

I captured this image of the falls on Crow Creek near Lakemont, GA using my 50mm f/1.4 lens, tripod mounted and using a circular polarizer. I hope everyone had an opportunity to get out and enjoy the warmer weather. (I know for certain that many of you do did.  I was they guy competing with you for the only empty parking spot.) Thanks for stopping by.

Exploring Dukes Creek Falls – Georgia

I explored the Dukes Creek Falls Recreation Area in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest over the weekend.  It is a scenic 1 mile hike where you walk along Dodd Creek until it converges with Davis Creek and then becomes Dukes Creek. (I hope that isn’t too confusing.) There are plenty of shoals and several small falls along the creek and Dukes Creek Falls is much taller. I hope you were all able to get out and explore over the weekend.

This image was captured using my 24-70mm f/2.8, tripod mounted. Thanks for stopping by.

After Dark – Dicks Creek Falls – Georgia

Short on time but, not short on determination, I captured this image of Dicks Creek Falls near Cleveland, Georgia well after the sun had gone down behind the mountains. It was so dark that I was hardly able to see my hand in front of my face. The exposure was just over 2 minutes at f/16, ISO 800.  Sure there is some digital noise to be found if you look at the image at 150%. But, to paraphrase pro photographer Rick Sammon, if you are distracted by the noise in an image, it probably isn’t a very interesting image.

I captured this image using my 16-24 mm f/4, tripod mounted. (It was so dark that I actually removed the polarizer if you can believe that.) As always, thanks for stopping by.