Mar 03 2008
Photographing a Natural Wonder
A couple of weeks ago I went down to a natural wonder, aptly called the Natural Bridge, at a place called Springbrook, which is in the Gold Coast hinterland of Australia.
The bridge part is actually a waterfall that gushses over a cliff and lands in to the pool of a cave. Getting up close and personal with this natural wonder is an easy 5 minute stroll along a fully sealed path on a gentle gradient.
The day I went, the weather was a bit rainy, but with camera and tripod in hand I attempted to get some moody shots…
Playing with the shutter speed, here is the first of three photos:
Now for the next image - this time with a slightly longer shutter speed:
And the last photo of the water, with an even longer shutter speed:
I have to say I’m a sucker for the long shutter speed on waterfalls. I’ve been to this location before, when the weather was much sunnier, and it makes the contrast almost too much. The overcast weather actually acted as a kind of natural Neutral Density filter 
Here is a view from inside the cave, out towards where the water ends up - it’s surprisingly still, and if it’s warm enough, people swim in there:
This is such a great location - for a photographer, because you can get a great photo of a waterfall, without having to hike for hours and cart gear (such as a tripod) - and for a nature lover, to witness something special, again without spending hours on a trail.
