Sylvia Falls

It is my great pleasure to introduce you to Sylvia Falls, the second of the many waterfalls you encounter as you work your way down the Valley of the Waters in the Blue Mountains. Small rather than grand, it ticks all my boxes and to me it’s the highlight of the valley.

The first time I visited this fall the water seemed to glow a bluish white, and although there was not a great deal of water, a few-second exposure captured the essence of the place. I set the image at a slight angle to emphasise the many small rivulets running over the black rock of the escarpment. It’s one of my favourite waterfall photos.

When I revisited the scene a couple of years later, I tried to capture Sylvia Falls in its context, with the upper escarpment wall in the background. Even the best of lenses couldn’t fully compensate for the difference in light between the grotto in which the fall is set and the sun-drenched cliffs in the background, but I did my best. I imagine some post-processing could improve it.

Reminder: best after rain.