String Theory
Oregon · USA
In the figurative shadow of its better-known lower namesake, Upper Proxy Falls traces a gracefully braided 129-foot descent down a mossy-bouldered hillside before coalescing in a splash pool that quite literally disappears under the cool shade of some massive old-growth western hemlock and Douglas-fir trees. Instead of generating an outlet stream as expected, the pool’s water seeps through the porous volcanic rock below and reemerges some distance downstream as massive springs that birth White Branch Creek and Lost Creek. It was a bright, sunny day when Ash I were visiting, and the glow of mid-afternoon sun lent a subtle golden gleam to the strings of water trickling off the moss.
I always strive for originality in my photographic pursuits (as I believe no self-respecting personal statements are ever made by deliberately copycatting someone else), but I discovered post hoc that this composition mirrors similar ones done previously by Gavin Hardcastle, Tom Kloster, and Paul Garrett (among others by now, I’m sure), joining the ranks of “Soul Sister,” “Columbian Jewel,” and “Adagio” in my growing collection of completely unintended comp-stomps. I can’t say I was completely surprised, though, as the vantage point isn’t difficult to access at all. In fact, as pretty as Upper Proxy is, I’m surprised I don’t see it shot more often.
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Gavin Hardcastle: https://www.fototripper.com/upper-proxy-falls-photo-tips-oregon/
Tom Kloster: http://www.oregonhikers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=22183&view=next
Paul Garrett: https://500px.com/photo/84188961/upper-proxy-falls-by-paul-garrett
