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Oregon · USA
Raucous crowds and harsh lighting kept me from shooting Punch Bowl Falls, so I left the throngs upstream to their revelry and took some time out alone in quiet introspection atop Lower Punch Bowl Falls. I think it surprises people who don't know me as well as they think they do (which actually is most people) to learn that I'm the quintessential introvert. I tend to shy away from large crowds or loud scenes...not because I'm socially awkward (at least I hope not!)...but because it just entails such an expenditure of energy for me to maintain focus on the task at hand or to uphold my usually positive take on things, as I think mob mentality--whether in real life or in virtual venues (e.g., social media or Youtube comments)--brings out the worst in humankind all too often. Don't believe me? Have a gander (and do read all the way to the end...I promise it's worth it!). ;)
Being an introvert simply means I draw my energy from within rather than without, and accordingly I'd sooner spend a Friday night home watching a movie than out gallivanting from bar to bar or nightclub to nightclub. I love the acoustics of live music, but you're more likely to find me enjoying an unplugged artist in an intimate venue than drowning in a mosh pit of fans at a rock concert. It's just my way, and being on the trails is no different. You'll never have to worry about me comp-stomping with the crowd...I'll more likely be off to the side shooting in the opposite direction from everybody else.
On a technical note, this image of Eagle Creek just as it spills over the lip of the falls comprises eight 6-second exposures stacked and manually blended to maintain front-to-back focus.
