My 5 favorite Waterfalls of the West

I have always been fascinated by moving water and how it has shaped and carved out our landscapes over millions of years. It creates many of the beautiful scenes we get to enjoy today and has been doing so for an eternity.

One of my personal favorite subjects to photograph are waterfalls. It doesn't matter the time of day, with an open shutter and a 10 stop Neutral Density filter, the long exposure effect always makes makes them look magical. They are often found in spectacular settings. Running among the middle of the mountains, through lush forests or up tight winding canyons.

There is an art to photographing waterfalls. I like to shoot them wide with lots of foreground, this means you have to get up close and personal to keep some of the scale of the falls. However, big waterfalls create a lot of mist and spray. Your camera is bound to get soaked, so it's important you have a system with good weatherproofing and a LOT of lens cloths to wipe your lens, so you don't get water spots in your shots.

Today I want to share with you just a few of my favorite waterfalls from the western part of North America. Each have their own unique story and meaning to me, so without further ado here are my 5 favorite waterfalls of the west.

Sunwapta Falls

This has always been a classic stop for me every time I drive through Jasper National Park. Jasper has always been quieter than the Banff area and for me, just as beautiful. Having grown up in British Columbia as a kid we would sometimes make trips through here and it's crazy to see how much the landscapes have changed over time. For example, the Athabasca glacier which you used to be able to freely walk on has now receded at a staggering rate and will probably disappear within my lifetime. I have a photo of these falls from last year and a large majority of the trees have all succumbed to pine beetle and turned red and died. It's crazy to see such changes within your own lifetime and my life hasn't even been that long yet. As a photographer you get to document these changes over time if you revisit old photo locations. As sad as it is to see, it's still neat to be able to notice those changes. I feel like this adds to a photos value because it has now become a piece of history. This photograph represents to me the rapid changes happening to our planet on a daily basis, who knows what our future will hold?

Moul Falls

I have been to this location several times over the years, but never in the Fall. Albeit it is a short hike in, the views along the way are truly breathtaking. Walking alongside a river surrounded by birch and aspen trees with yellow and orange foliage has a way of calming the soul. The cool thing about these waterfalls is that you can actually walk into a cavern behind them. Granted one gets absolutely drenched doing so, I don't know of too many places one can safely do that. When I saw the cool textures of these logs mixed with the textures of the rock around the falls I knew I had to have them in my foreground. On top of that, I got lucky and some interestingly textured clouds passed through my frame while I was snapping this shot.

Kanaraville Falls

Although this is located more in the Southwest than the true west, it still makes it into my list because of how stunning the location is. This spot in Utah was recommended to us by someone we met travelling while in Nepal. He so happened to live in Utah and was actually kind enough to take us in for a few days while we were on a van trip through the USA. I guess this used to be a locals secret, but over the years as with many spots the cat's out of the bag and it has become quite popular. We got there on a brisk, clear November day. We followed the trail along a flowing creek amongst the fall foliage, occasionally crossing from side to side. Suddenly we came across a canyon with red sandstone towering on either side. We had to get our feet wet in the icy water, but I had set out to see this location and I didn't much mind the frozen toes. Luckily it wasn't very far to get from the start of the canyon to the falls you see pictured here. Coming from Canada this landscape was far from anything I'd ever seen before. It's so cool to see how the river has ground down this rock over years and years. The little bit of ice accumulating in the water really added to the shot for me. After I finished shooting we spent the next half an hour trying to get feeling back into our toes in the Autumn sun outside of the Canyon.

Sutherland Falls

This is one of my choice local spots to visit close to where I live. Clear, blue, water cascades over the cliffs in this canyon. The waterfall looks small in the distance, but it is about sixty feet tall. It is a hidden gem, tucked away in the forest, that never gets too busy.

Sometimes I like to come here just to get away and think. I will hike along the river and scramble up above the waterfall. Taking in the sounds of nature and watching the water swirl and tumble over the edge. I have come here many times, in every season. However, the day I came to take this shot, was perfect.

In the spring the water is far too powerful to get this close to the river. In the fall the flow is not strong enough and in the winter it totally freezes over. On this summer day, the conditions were just right. The morning sun was hitting the trees and cliffs surrounding the waterfall. The mist was rising into the light, creating spectacular rays shining through to the rocks below. The river was just low enough to allow me to jump to a boulder in the middle. Allowing me to line up the composition flawlessly. There was even a raven, peacefully watching my every move, perched in a nearby tree.

Tamanawas Falls

In 2017 my girlfriend and I went on a spur of the moment, four-day trip, down to Oregon. In those four days we covered over 2500 kilometers. We went on multiple hikes, camped under the stars, ate a lot of great food and even squeezed in some rock climbing. It was both of our first times visiting Oregon and until this day, it is one of the most scenic places I have ever been.

With no real plan in mind, the possibilities were endless. My little two-seater pickup truck was stuffed to the brim with gear. My camera, a tent, sleeping bags, all our climbing necessities, backpacks and an assortment of snacks.

On our way to Mt. Hood, we saw a sign for a few trailheads, so of course we stopped to check one out. It was a relatively short one-and-a-half-mile hike to a waterfall. We were in no hurry to get anywhere, so we decided to stretch the legs after sitting in the cramped truck for the past nine hours. The short walk was just what the body needed and the reward at the end was incredible.

Towering at the end of the trail was an astounding cascade of water, illuminated in the evening light. The rocks along the river were coated in lush, vibrant, moss. There were even a few yellow wildflowers, standing proud amongst the abundance of green. You could also venture behind the falls, to get a totally new perspective, if you didn't mind getting a little wet.

As always, If you enjoyed these photos let me know what you think 👇

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