I’ve hiked the Glenn Onoko Falls trail outside of Jim Thorpe Pennsylvania many times over the years. It is one of my favorite hikes in the Northeast. The creek drops 900 feet in a series of waterfalls into the Lehigh River. It is a steep trail but there are lots of places to stop and take photographs. On this day I realized that I had become so familiar with the place that I started breaking some photography and even some of my own rules.

Glen Onoko Falls Jim Thrope

Glenn Onoko Falls

Photographers learn that cloudy days or times when the subject is shaded are the ideal times to photograph waterfalls. This image was made at noon in direct sunlight while the sun created nice rays of light through the mist.

Glenn Onoko Falls Jim Thrope Pennsylvania

Light and Water

Photographers are also told to use a polarizer filter with flowing water in order to reduce the surface glare. In this image, the light and shadow from the plant canopy above the creek made a nice addition to the play of light and color in this little section of the creek.

Glenn Onoko Falls Jim Thorpe Pennsylvania

Photographer at the Falls

This is a personal rule. I rarely include people in my landscapes but this young photographer stepped into the scene and held still while I was taking a 2 second exposure. Her red top contrasted nicely with the lush green around her. The flow of the creek and most of the foliage pointed right at her so it seemed right to include her in this image.

Glenn Onoko Falls

Glen Onoko Falls

I don’t think I broke any rules here, I just like this photograph from the hike.

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