My wife and I spent Columbus Day weekend in Blackwater Falls State Park, West Virginia. I'd seen some impressive photos of Blackwater Falls and hoped to capture the falls myself with some nice fall foliage. We arrived just after peak season, so there was still some great color. The summer drought eviscerated the falls, but recent rainstorms restored the falls to a portion of its usual glory.

Autumn at Blackwater Falls It turns out that in autumn, Blackwater Falls State Park is a very popular destination for photographers. I met several photographers while I was there and learned about some other scenic locations. One of my favorites was the Falls of Elakala on Shays Run, which it turns out was only a short hike away from the lodge where we stayed.

Autumn at the Falls of Elakala The best color we found Columbus Day weekend was at Douglas Falls. It's only a short drive from Blackwater Falls, and while it is smaller and lesser known, Douglas Falls is arguably more beautiful. Located by an abandoned coal town called Douglas, the only way to get to the falls is by way of a rough dirt road and then a short but very steep hike. The bright red color of the rocks comes from years of pollution and acid drainage from the mines and coke ovens in the area.

Autumn at Douglas Falls Ironic that pollution can actually make something more beautiful. The following is a shot looking downstream from Douglas Falls. I love the green water, red rocks, and green and yellow foliage.

Autumn in West Virginia The weather over Columbus Day weekend was pretty rotten for the the most part, as it was cloudy and rainy. However, overcast skies can be good for river and waterfall photography because it reduces glare and specular highlights. So, in some respects, the bad weather was a blessing in disguise.

Last weekend I decided to shoot an urban landscape. I've seen some nice shots of the Washington skyline from across the Potomac and figured I might get something nice from the Marine Corps War Memorial or the Netherlands Carillon in Arlington. The weather forecast predicted clear skies. (That was no shock for me; clouds hate me.) So, in the absence of clouds, I thought I might get something interesting by shooting during twilight.

Dawn on Washington Morning twilight is the period beginning at dawn and ending at sunrise. (Wikipedia, Twilight (as of October 3, 2012).) There are three different defined periods of twilight, the distinctions between which are significant for photographers because the nature and quality of the light changes significantly between dawn and sunrise.

The periods in sequence are astronomical twilight, nautical twilight, and civil twilight. Astronomical twilight (when the center of the sun is between 12° and 18° below the horizon) is quite dark, as most stars are still visible when away from urban light pollution. With nautical twilight (when the center of the sun is between 6° and 12° below the horizon), general outlines of ground objects may be distinguishable, but otherwise difficult to see. With civil twilight (when the center of the sun is between 6° below the horizon and dawn), objects are clearly distinguishable, but the sun is not yet visible above the horizon. (Id.)

Daybreak on Washington I took the first photo precisely at civil dawn. The sky is a beautiful purple and the trees by the Potomac are mere outlines. Technically, I took the second photo five minutes after sunrise, but because buildings block the horizon, the effective sunrise in a city is a bit later. I shot the second photo just moments before the sun appeared. The sky is a beautiful orange color and detail is visible in the trees by the Potomac.

I'm pleased with the way my urban landscapes turned out, but I'm already planning to return for another try. I'd really like to get a sunrise with some clouds. I also want to try the landscapes with colder weather. Last weekend was relatively warm and very humid. The warm and humid air distorted the light and diminished the clarity of the images. I should be able to get something really good in late autumn or winter.

In 2008, Congress opened the Capitol Visitor Center to serve as a visitor center for both the Capitol and the city. The CVC is enormous. Fortunately, when Congress built the CVC, they had the presence of mind to put the entire thing underground so that it doesn't detract from the majesty of the Capitol itself. To make sure the CVC had enough light, the architects installed two massive skylights, which can be seen from the east side of the Capitol. It occurred to me that I might be able to take a nice photo of the Capitol dome reflected on one of the skylights.

Capitol nightfall I think the photo turned out quite nicely. I really like the color and all the diagonal lines give the image depth and interest. I took it during the magical blue hour (the term comes from the French expression l'heure bleue, which refers to the period of twilight each morning and evening where there is neither full daylight nor complete darkness (Wikipedia, Blue hour (as of Sept. 22, 2012))).

Around the skylights are some marble slabs that normally hold water. When present, the water is flush with the glass. It produces a nice effect. Unfortunately, when I visited the Capitol last week to take these photos, all of the water had been removed. (I assume because of the drought.) I'll have to go back and reshoot these images when the water is present (and hopefully with more clouds too).

When I shoot the Capitol, I usually visit the west side, where you can find the famous reflecting pool. The west side also gets more light at sunset. Since I was on the east side at sunset for the reflections on the skylights, I thought I'd take the opportunity to play around and see what I could get. I took the following panorama:

Official twilight

I find producing a good panorama technically challenging and the results oddly appealing. I'm not sure what it is about a panorama that attracts me. It may be something about the perspective.