4

2 Harmonious Light
Consider Sol Duc Falls in Olympic National Park, a mesmerizing triple waterfall in the middle of the
Hoh Rain Forest. With sheer cliffs on either side of the canyon, the only way for visitors to view the
spectacle is from a vantage directly above the falls. So how do you bring the eager American public to
Sol Duc? The National Park Service fashioned a bridge from a pair of giant fir trees that lie across the
gully. The simple structure fits so serenely within the environment that it becomes nearly invisible to
the eye as you approach it. The logs look like they might have been placed there by nature...a perfect
way to cross the span without spoiling the harmony of the scene.
I rarely photograph man-made objects but this place strikes such a perfect balance of man and nature,
I couldn’t resist. I considered my options and climbed to the top of the falls…choosing to focus on the
scene from the “wrong direction.” What I didn’t expect was a little bit of magic when I climbed to my
vantage point. As soon as I set up my tripod, the sun shone through the rising mist illuminating my
subject beautifully. When I speak of the “magic” of photographing the national parks, this is the kind
of thing that makes me feel like the universe is somehow guiding me on this journey.
ABOVE SOARING OVER EL CAP, YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CA