top of page
Showcase
February 2026
The World of Waterfalls
Capturing the Flow
A portfolio of human-made imperfect images. Captured at real locations, using real light and film or digital sensor exposed to real photons. Real life experiences and lasting memories. No AI.
For landscape photographers waterfalls have always been an intriguing subject, and I am no exception to this. Some of the featured waterfalls are very easy to access, others are off the beaten path and hard to reach. But they all have one thing in common: it requires some planning and luck to generate photographs, which are worth to be in someone's portfolio. Light and weather pattern, seasonal conditions impacting water flow and accessibility to be able to compose an appealing frame, just to name a few. I prefer to capture waterfalls while emphasizing the flow of the moving water. This requires longer exposure times and the use of a solid tripod is a must. Polarization and neutral density filter help to reduce glare and adjust exposure times. And last but not least: often you are working in close proximity to or even in the water. Slippery rocks, current, and photographer's excitement can quickly seal the fate of the camera equipment. Even if you manage not to submerge your camera spray from the falling water can soak your photo gear including the guy behind the viewfinder.
I hope you enjoy the images.
JMZ
Dunn's Falls in Jamaica
This is probably the most famous waterfall in Jamaica. Being located in a park at the north coast just outside of Ocho Rios this is an easy to access location. However, to photograph the falls is quite a challenge. Due to its popularity it is a tourist magnet and local tours guide folks on a waterfall "climb". Most of the time you would see at least 30+ people in this picture forming a human chain climbing up the falls. In addition the falls are situated in a tropical forest which causes difficult to control contrasts on sunny days. From former trips to Jamaica I was aware of this and the plan was to pick a day when no cruise ships would be there, arrive as early as possible, and hope the falls wouldn't be in bright sunlight. This image was taken in 2014, last year we were back in Jamaica and I had planned a trip to the falls to try some other compositions. Early in the morning I was the first to enter the park just to learn that tripods are not allowed anymore. I guess this location I can take off my list now - without a tripod and longer exposure photos of waterfalls as I like to capture them are basically impossible.
Niagara Falls, USA
For many folks a must-see - the Niagara Falls at the Canada/USA border. It was a cold and snowy Thanksgiving when we visited the falls. We spend most of the time on the Canadian side where we had booked a room at a nice B&B within walking distance to the falls. The photo shown was taken in the morning on the US side at Niagara Falls State Park.
Stirling Falls, New Zealand
This falls can only be visited with a boat, as they are located in Milford Sound on the South Island of New Zealand. To take this shot I went to the bow of the boat when it closely approached the falls. A tripod was out of the question and the boat was rocking back and forth. To capture this frame I used a 50mm lens and shot burst series of 5 to 10 frames to get at least one sharp image. After each series I needed to clean the front lens from the spray with a towel. Stirling falls drops 500 feet straight into Milford Sound. I guess you can image the amount of spray this generates. I was soaked when I was finished.
Unnamed Waterfall at Mount Totumas,
Mount Totumas is a cloud forest located in the western highlands of Panama's Chiriquí province. This area is close to the border to Costa Rica. We stayed at a lodge situated way up in the cloud forest and only accessible with a high clearance 4x4 vehicle. You need to cross several streams to get to the resort. It is entirely off the grid and offers superb hiking in the cloud forest including climbing Mount Totumas. The frame shows one of the many waterfalls, which we encountered on our hikes in the cloud forest.
Dettifoss, Iceland
This is the second largest waterfall in Iceland. We had typical Icelandic weather when I took this frame. Not very comfortable but I believe it helped to achieve a moody atmosphere.
Laurel Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA
This is a classic one and many wedding photos were taken there. It is an easy short trail to reach the falls and over-visitation has become an issue. Luckily, 18 years ago when I took this shot this was not a concern at all.
Lower Calf Creek Falls. Utah, USA
The desert of the US Southwest isn't an obvious location where someone would expect waterfalls, The falls are located in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument area.
Cachoeira do Sinhozinho, Brazil
This waterfall is located in the Bonito area which is famous for its limestone filtered clear rivers. To reach the falls you hike along the river until the trail ends, then you get on a small fishing boat which will take you to the falls. We had made arrangements through a local guide we had hired. There is no other way to get there, you need that boat, which also guaranteed that we were alone there.
Cloud Forest, Costa Rica
Located in the cloud forest at the slopes of volcano Poas. This is an extremely lush but also humid, misty, and wet environment.
Somerset Falls, Jamaica
This falls are located in Hope Bay, Jamaica. The best view is from the inside of the cave but to get there you need a small boat. Luckily there was a guy making a few bucks by taking folks into the cave. When we got there a few locals were just taking a refreshing shower under the falls. The guy stabilized the boat by pushing it against the rocks so I could take a long exposure using my tripod. His tip was well deserved.
Left Fork, Zion National Park, Utah
This little waterfall is located in the Left Fork in Zion National Park. You pass it when the canyon narrows and you get close to the Subway, the main attraction. This is a permit-only area and you can play the NPS lottery to apply for a permit. This and the nature of the hike, there is no trail and you cross a stream multiple times, has the advantage that even in Zion there is no over-visitation at this location.
bottom of page