Multnomah Falls in the Rain

by Jeff Goulden

Multnomah Falls in the Rain

The Columbia Gorge is an area of incomparable scenic beauty that forms the border between Oregon and Washington State.  The area cuts through the mountainous Cascade Range and boasts vast forests to the west, arid shrub-steppe to the east and the mighty Columbia River throughout.  The gorge is well known for its many waterfalls on both sides of the river.

The most famous of the waterfalls is Multnomah Falls, located along the historic Columbia River Highway in Oregon between the towns of Corbett and Dodson.

I had wanted to take a picture of Multnomah Falls for a long time.  Finally the time came to take a trip in the Columbia Gorge.  When I left Eastern Oregon it was warm and sunny.  As I drove west on the old Columbia River Highway it started raining.  By the time I reached Multnomah Falls, which is on the wetter side of the Cascade Range, it was raining very hard.

I had serious doubts about getting a decent picture but went ahead and set up my tripod and camera anyway.  Typically, when I shoot waterfall pictures, I use a time exposure of 1/4 second or longer.  This gives a feathery texture to the water and suggests motion in the waterfall.  For this picture I used a very wide angle lens (10mm) so I would take in both the upper and lower falls as well as the bushes in the foreground.  As I was shooting, I was getting thoroughly wet and so was my equipment.  In reviewing the shots on my camera's screen, I noticed big water droplets in the picture.  I removed the protective filter from my lens and put my hand over the top to keep out the rain.  I snapped another series of pictures, packed up my equipment and sought shelter.  Out of the 40-50 pictures I took that day, the picture above was the only one that had the effect I was looking for and didn't have any visible water droplets.  I was very fortunate that the people were standing on the bridge to give scale and perspective to my picture.  I was also lucky that my equipment didn't get drenched beyond repair.

To download a picture of Multnomah Falls in the Rain go to Istockphoto.  Signed fine art prints from many of my photographs are available for purchase on Fine Art America.  ​For special offers and to follow my photographic journey please Join My Email List​.​​

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