Wapta Falls

Wapta Falls is  located near the west end gate of Yoho National Park in British Columbia, the largest waterfall on the Kicking Horse River.  The name stems from a Nakoda Indian word meaning “river”. The waterfall is accessed relatively easily via a 30 minute hike from the trailhead near the Trans Canada Highway.

Together with Stewart Hamilton, I visited the falls on September 6.  Getting a good photographic angle on these falls is the challenge.  The large earthen bank you see in front of the falls is an unwelcome obstacle, obscuring much of Wapta’s east  side. One of the better vantage points on this side of the river is an island just below the falls. We were able to reach it because the water flow is less at this time of the year and most of it passes to the west of the island.

I was looking for an expansive view in an attempt to capture Wapta’s full majesty. This was the best I could do from this location. I took several pictures at different shutter speeds, ranging from 1/1000 sec to 3/10 sec. The one I’ve chosen for today’s blog is the “slowest ” one, 3/10 sec.  I enjoyed the challenge of achieving this long exposure under the conditions: brilliant sunlight! Even using a very small aperture and a low sensor sensitivity (ISO 50) I needed a variable, neutral density filter to restrict the amount of light reaching the sensor during the long exposure. I ‘m  satisfied with the result from a technical perspective but I ‘m not thrilled with the composition. The still, green water and the old tree in the left foreground are appealing, the snow-capped Ottertail Range in the background is magnificent and the rainbow is a bonus. But, the earthen bank?

Saturday’s shoot was a helpful experience. It served to make me question why I couldn’t get the shot I really wanted: the “full on” view of the falls  I’d seen in photos posted online. Once onsite, I realized those pictures had to have been taken from the west side of the river, a location not accessible from where we were.  Further research has shown me another, lesser known route to the opposite side of the river where, on a later occasion I’ll get a chance  to try again.

Despite not getting exactly what I wanted, it was a great place to go, offering abundant photo opportunities and a pleasant walk in.