Archive 2014 · Blanchard Springs Spring

wswartzwel
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Blanchard Springs Spring

Blanchard Springs Caverns is one of the most spectacular and carefully developed caves found anywhere in the world. It is located in the Ozark National Forest and is believed to have been formed, and continually changed, by an ongoing mountain spring that pours into a glassy-surfaced trout pond below the cave, called Mirror Lake. It is still active and is changing with stalactites and stalagmites growing. There are many levels for visitors to explore, and even has undeveloped ones for adventuresome people that like to crawl around, and get muddy. The water flows out of the mountain year round, and is quite cold. Thousands of photographers have captured this spot. Here is my presentation of the bright limestone and flowing water exiting the caverns.

All comments welcome, and appreciated.

Thanks for looking,
Bill Swartzwelder

Blanchard Springs

Nov 03, 2014 at 06:47 PM

John Zeman
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Blanchard Springs Spring

Very nice indeed. And just around the corner is the equally (IMHO) impressive Blanchard Caverns.

Nov 03, 2014 at 07:05 PM

wswartzwel
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Blanchard Springs Spring

Thanks John, I appreciate your comments. Arkansas has lots of pretty places, Just very few of those scenic vistas where you can see forever.

Nov 04, 2014 at 06:24 AM

Kee Woo Rhee
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Blanchard Springs Spring

Very nice capture the nice scene. Good exposure, but I wonder if you used a polarizer to minimize the reflections from the rocks and such.

Nov 04, 2014 at 07:35 AM

psharvic
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Blanchard Springs Spring

Nice work on this, Bill. A 16x9 crop with less of the top might be worth looking at.

Nov 04, 2014 at 07:48 AM

wswartzwel
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Blanchard Springs Spring

Kee, yes I used a B+W circular polarizer per Jim Fox's recommendation. My local dealer tried to sell me on a house brand they sold from the store, but after researching found that it is best to stick with better glass. I am really liking it, but still learning how it effects my shutter speed results, on other parts of the images I shoot with it. Thanks so much for your kind words regarding my image. I appreciate your artistic and creative spirit, displayed in your images.

Sharon, I looked real hard at cropping that top… Tried both versions, but I would have lost much of the horizontal lines that curve around the pool, and I really like that aspect for the background. Thanks so much for your comments, and advice. I really like seeing your Arkansas images here, as well as other places on the web, like the HSV camera club website.

Nov 04, 2014 at 08:34 AM

JimFox
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Blanchard Springs Spring

Hey Bill,

What a cool looking shot. I am glad you stuck to your guns and got a good polarizer.

The use of the polarizer is very obvious in that there is no glare off the rocks or water. So good job in using it.

Obviously using the polarizer will cost you usually 1.5 stops of light. Which lets you shoot at a slower shutter speed, so you can get some nicely silky water without even using a ND filter sometimes. But yes, in scenes with leaves and branches, you often will need to take 2 shots... 1 for the water (often 1/5th of a sec) and then a faster shot, where now you will crank up the ISO to maybe 400 or 800 to shoot faster if the leaves in the shot were moving at all. Then just blend the two together... using the water and rock area from the one shot with the leaves from the faster shot. Easy to do.

Jim

Nov 04, 2014 at 08:12 PM

ChrisKayler
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Blanchard Springs Spring

Intriguing location! I've never heard of it. Love the way the water is flowing out of the darkness. Processing wise, I might tone down the contrast just a touch as the limestone is really quite bright, especially in the lower left.

Have you been into the cave before?

Nov 04, 2014 at 09:55 PM

wswartzwel
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Blanchard Springs Spring

Jim, thanks so much for your reply, and all the help and answered questions since I joined here. Having moderated motorcycle forums, I know moderation can be a thankless tiring job, yet you approach it with a desire to help others here become better at their craft. I appreciate the tips you just posted and will be experimenting some this weekend.

Chris, Thanks for the tip, yes the limestone at this location is quite bright.
Been in the caverns many times. The original tour was huge, then they opened up a second one, that is a level below the first, which is also huge. Both are beautiful. I have not done the new "spelunking" tour below the second level, as I don't care for tight spaces deep in the earth..

If you look in my uploads there is a shot of an old abandoned mill. Nearby is the town of Mt. View, which is a Folk music, and craft mecca, that has been able to escape being over developed. Great area to visit, and lots of photo opportunities. Thanks again for your comment.

Nov 05, 2014 at 07:45 AM


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