P251H – Lower Mossbrae Falls, CA

Mossbrae Falls , located near Mt. Shasta in California is probably one of my favorites. I’ve visited it on many occasions over the last 10 years in all seasons. Decent water flow occurs at all times of the year because the water comes primarily from underground and therefore not being dependent on rainfall. The waterfall is actually quite large and contains several separate components that covers a distance of probably 100 feet across. This particular image is only a very small section as it pours into the Sacramento River.

On this particular day, a thick layer of cloud caused the canyon to become quite dark, resulting in my exposure being over 20 seconds in length. This turned out to be a benefit as the long exposure caused the water to soften. The water falling from elevated positions across the photograph frame appear as if they are lights shining up from below the water surface, like beacons. This photograph is particularly striking when printed large as the detail in the moss covered rocks really show off.