I wanted a shot of Niagara Falls lit up at night. I wanted it badly enough to get a hotel room in Niagara Falls, Ontario, at the Sheraton Fallsview Hotel, with a view of both falls and a "Juliet Balcony" - essentially a floor to ceiling window that would open. That way I could get a shot of both falls, from high enough to see both at once, with no glass between me and the falls.
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(I was treating myself - I retired after 30+ years as a computer programmer, working for The Man, to work on my food blog full time and have more time for my photography.)
Time Blend Light Trails
I was there for two nights, which was a good thing - the first night was fantastic, and I spent it taking shot after shot, playing with the exposure length, timing the traffic signals to make light trails along the Niagara Parkway. The shot at the top of the post is a time blend - I left the camera in the same spot on the tripod and took a lot of light trail shots, then combined the best ones in Photoshop, blending them together with "lighten" mode to bring only the brightest car lights from each photo through. The picture below is the best single shot, a 13 second long exposure.
Fog and Rain and Blowing Spray
I got my gorgeous night shots, which was the whole point of the trip. so I figured everything else was a bonus. Which was a good thing, because the next day (my only full day at the falls) was foggy, dreary, and raining on and off. Even worse, the wind was blowing straight up the Niagara river over Horseshoe Falls, blowing its spray straight at the walking trail along the river. I tried to walk over to Horseshoe falls to get a look, and maybe some pictures, but I gave up after a minute. (You know the Maid of the Mist boat rides, where they give you ponchos at the start of the voyage because the spray is so bad? It was like that on the walking trail.) I was constantly wiping my glasses, only for them to mist over again. It took me a few minutes (I'm stubborn sometimes), but I eventually realized that my camera lens would never be dry enough to get a picture. And I was getting soaked. So, I went back to the hotel and got another shot of both falls, this time shrouded in mist and fog.
Ice Spires and the Falls
My final morning was bright and clear, and I finally got my walk along the river trail to the Horseshoe Falls. My favorite things were the ice formations on the American falls - especially the tall, curving ice spire right in the middle. The Horseshoe Falls were awe-inspiring - you can see and feel the mass of the water constantly pouring over the falls, the bass rumble shaking in your chest - but I didn't get a picture that captured just how massive the falls are. (I think I have to get lower to the water level next time, with something to show the scale of the falls.) Still, on my way home in the car, I was thrilled. It was a successful trip.
Niagara Falls Gallery
Equipment
I went with my usual Travel Photography Bag kit, but brought the new Peak Design Pro Tall Tripod instead of my usual Peak Design tripod. I wanted a heftier tripod with more height. It's a good thing I did - the Juliet balcony door and its railing were annoying to work around, but the extra height from the tall tripod let me tilt it out the window enough to get both falls in the frame.
The wide shots from the hotel were taken with my Sony 16-35/4 PZ, and all the other shots were with my all-purpose Sony 20-70/4.
Thanks for reading!
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