Site icon MishMoments

Photography Tips for Lake Falls in Matthiessen State Park

Mish

Matthiessen State Park is located in central LaSalle County, approximately 4 miles south of Utica and 3 miles east of Oglesby.

I took the images on this page on the last possible day this year. A big snowstorm hit the area the next day, and all the leaves blew off in the accompanying windstorm.

Feature Image Details

Rather than capture the entire waterfall, I zoomed in on the best part.

This image is a composite. I used a Canon 24-105MM F4 L Lens at 32 mm for 30 seconds at F16  at ISO 100 for one exposure. That’s what produced the nice swirls.

Trees will not stay still for 30 seconds.

The second image I shot at ISO 2500. The light was dim so it still took 1.6 seconds. I took a bunch of images at that setting and the wind was calm for one of them.

Here is a vertical image where I used similar techniques.

Tips

  1. Waterfalls almost always photograph better on cloudy day.
  2. Spray is very much an issue on these kinds of shots. Water drops ruined many shots.
  3. Be sure to wipe off the front of your lens or filter between every shot.
  4. A polarizer reduces glare and increases exposure times to make for smoother-looking water. I nearly always use a filter when photographing waterfalls.
  5. The standard advice is to use polarizers to deepen a blue sky, but I almost never use them that way. Instead, I routinely use them to saturate colors and remove glare on cloudy days.

Nearby

Starved Rock State Park is close by. One can photograph both parks on a long weekend if you start early on both days.

Starved Rock State Park Articles

Equipment List

Those interested in my equipment and recommendations can find it here: Mish’s Equipment List.

Please Subscribe: Click to Subscribe by Email.

If you like this article, please share by email or use one of the share buttons beneath the article.

More Matthiessen State Park images coming up.

Thanks!

Mike “Mish” Shedlock

Exit mobile version