Natural beauty right under our noses
When the electricity went out during the recent ice storm, I first grew disgruntled. However, my mindset immediately changed upon peering out the window. What had I been thinking? Peering out the window, it dawned on me that this was a prefect day for shooting photos. The heavy overcast leant to evenly lit exposures of an ice- covered forest canopy.
Loading my gear into the vehicle, I grabbed an armful of warm outer garments and headed out the door. I did have one issue, though. Even though the highways were clear, the dirt roads leading to my favorite shooting destinations were likely treacherous.
I had no intentions of getting stranded in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, there were plenty of good photo opportunities within close proximity of the house. With a little thought, possible photo ops grew practically overwhelming. Heck — I could spend the remainder of the day shooting and never stray beyond than the city limit signs of Hot Springs.
Although photo destinations were aplenty, there was one location in particular that kept coming to mind. I suspected the section of Gulpha Creek, located just downstream from the Gulpha Gorge Recreation Area, would lend to a wonderful scene. Recent rains had left her banks swelled and pouring over an outcrop of large boulders. Add ice- laden limbs drooping over the water’s edge into the equation, and from the right perspective it might just prove one of those compositions that outdoor photographers imagine.
I grew anxious upon parking alongside the road and stepping out of the vehicle, as the roaring sound of water rushing over the rocks was prominent from a couple of hundred feet away. Navigating down the slippery slope, I found myself even more eager to peer through the viewfinder, upon noticing a winter wonderland engulfing both sides of the creek.
Recording exposures from several perspectives, I headed back to the vehicle and in the direction of downtown. Rolling into a parking area, I grabbed my gear and embarked upon a very short walk to the Grand Promenade entrance. I had the camera secured to my tripod and was adjusting my settings immediately upon reaching the base of of the stairs leading to the walkway.
Wow — peering through the viewfinder, I was amazed at the composition unfolding before my eyes. The contrast of the red brick walkway against a background of distant ice- barren trees was amazing. I generally avoid gray and dreary skies while composing photos. But this was a little different situation. In fact, the sky lent to a feeling of vastness and wintertime.
The more I walked along the promenade, the more I noticed photo ops in every direction. Of course, I took hundreds of shots of the pathway winding through a beautiful natural setting, but there were other opportunities all around me.
I secured my macro lens to get an up- close perspective of the subtle light refracting through ice- covered berries. And my largest zoom lens worked perfectly when I composed shots of distant benches settled under trees that during the winter precipitation had transformed into magnificent ice sculptures.
Eventually making my way back down to the sidewalk meandering along Bathhouse Row, I noticed how the beauty continued, in spite of the busy street. The trees along the opposing side of the street glimmered with a variance of vibrant colors produced by storefront lights.
And then there was West Mountain overlooking the downtown district. The hillside usually appeared somewhat bland during the winter, when the forest was barren of leaves. A heavy coating of ice, however, totally changed the mood. There was something majestic about a forest bearing the harsh elements of Mother Nature with such eloquence. And even though a few of the weaker trees would likely falter under the weight, a majority would sprout new, crisp and vibrant leaves with the return of spring.
As nighttime overcame the day, I watched as the beautiful scene grew secluded in darkness. It was somewhat saddening to know my opportunities to capture this incredible day were behind me. But I was excited to know that on those days when I can’t travel to those out- of- the- way spots, there natural beauty lurks practically in my back yard.