Enders Falls, Granby Ct
Took a trip to Granby Ct over the Labor Day Weekend and went to Enders State Forest to check out Ender’s Falls. Enders Falls is comprised of a series of 6 waterfalls that are easily accessible from the parking lot and although a bit steep in places it is not daunting. So we, my girlfriend and her 12 year old daughter, headed out from our base in Middletown CT and arrived around 11ish in the morning. The parking lot already had 2 or 3 cars there as we headed down the trail. We hit the first falls within 5 minutes of walking, small drop of approximately 4-6 feet and very picturesque. We were able to cross above the falls with a short bush whack and easy stream crossing to the other side for a better angle on the falls. I set up and shot a couple of cascades and then the first of the Ender’s Falls. With a moderate water flow the falls were beautiful and I was able to get some varying exposures anywhere from a quarter of a second to 10 seconds as well as wade in close to the fall offs and the plunge pools. For one series of shots I was up to mid thigh to get to my spot. The water was refreshing and super clear.
While I was occupied with the falls Niki and her daughter went exploring in the stream beds and trail close by, they had a blast turning over rocks and such to see if any salamanders or frogs were hiding out. At one point Niki caught a med sized bull frog; he wasn’t as thrilled about it as she was however. Outings in nature provide great opportunities to just talk and catch up away from the hustle and bustle of life one of the reasons Niki & I enjoy hiking so much. We worked our way down thru all six of the falls and each one was progressively more complex than the previous one. Longer drops, deeper plunge pools, opposite angles of falling water in a single fall, splitting flow around a large boulder, fallen trees and more difficult wading all made this a keeper of a trail. It also made each falls interesting to compose and capture the beautiful serenity they provide. I took several minutes to just observe and take in each of the falls to find the best placement of the camera and composition within the frame. Then I played and just enjoyed being there.
By the time we arrived back at the truck for our packed lunch it was close to 2:30 and we had no idea we were there that long, the proof of our immersion was the lost concept of time. Forgetting about time is liberating and a luxury many don’t often indulge in. Oh what they miss…
For those who have read TAking Creative control these images are a perfect example of that article. By adjusting the F/Stop and shutter speed I was able to convey the motion of the water in these still images.
I hope you enjoy these images as much as I did making them, if you would like to own one; they are available on my website at http://www.danielpstudios.net and at The Maine Avenue Galleria in Ocean Grove New Jersey http://www.mainavenuegalleria.com
Thank you for checking out my site, stop by again soon,
Dan
