www.carrwardphotography.com

Shooting Stepp Creek has forever changed the way I will approach photography. From setting up my shot, to processing, and a whole new way of thinking.

On this morning my son and I got up and 3am and drove 3 hours to the Ozark National Forest, Stepp Creek area. We parked on an old logging road and began our hike before the sun came up. We navigated our way through the forest following the creek downhill until we reached the falls. Just as we reached the falls the first light began illuminating the forest. There are two waterfalls in this area, one is the upper Stepp Creek falls, and this shot is the lower falls though you can see the upper in the image as well.

“Eye of Eternity” shot: the first time I saw a photo of this place was in Tim Ernst’s waterfall book. I envisioned what I wanted to do with this scene. But once I arrived it turned out even better than I thought. First, I wanted to capture the lower falls with the pool of water in the middle of the forest. I used the bluff line to lead the eye in toward the center. The waterfall running through the forest takes you right up through this scene with radiating light casting across the surface of the leaves, moss, and trees. Then you eye hits the sun which is right in the middle of the scene atop the waterfall. The bottom of the scene contains the cools colors and the top going to warm. I wanted to create a sense of depth in this picture and here you go from the forest floor in Arkansas, to space where the sun is creating the light that fills the scene. I’ve been working hard to create some new images, and this is the first of many.

More info: carrwardphotography.com

Eye of Eternity