Watkin Waterfalls

The Watkin Path descends alongside a series of falls that most people walk straight past on their way to the summit. On the way down, with less urgency and more time to look around, they’re harder to ignore.

The day before had brought heavy rain, which meant the falls were running hard — wide, multi-tiered, and loud enough to hear well before they came into view. A sunny day followed, but the clouds drifted across at the right moment, killing the harsh shadows and keeping the greens saturated. Good timing, entirely unplanned.

Getting the shot meant wading in thigh-deep and planting the tripod in the flow to use it as a brace against the current. Not the most comfortable shooting position, but the only one that put the churning foreground water in the frame alongside the full cascade behind it. The long exposure smoothed everything into that particular silky white — the falls, the pool, the water rushing past my legs — while the turquoise pool in the middle distance held just enough colour to anchor the scene.

Was the water cold? Of course it was.