Photo Adventure - Falls on White Alloe Creek

It's so easy to go to Arizona or Colorado and be inspired to take photographs. I've been searching for locations here around Kansas City that inspire and give me an opportunity to practice new skills. This week I found a place that provided the photographic challenge and met the 'inspire' factor as well.

I've been using the web to browse the state parks and conservation areas in the region. I came across one last week that the maps indicated waterfalls (even if the text didn't). Debbie and I went down there last weekend, and found these waterfalls. White Alloe Creek has been dammed to provide flood control and a water supply to one of the local towns. But the overflow from the dam's spillway cascades down the valleyside on it's way back to the bottom of the valley.

Upper Falls - White Alloe Creek

Lower Falls - White Alloe Creek

We first visited around sundown. The valley is narrow and the falls are on the western slope, so when we arrived the falls were in deep shadow. We returned Saturday at sunrise and took these photos. The depth of the valley and the height of the surrounding hills delays direct sun for about 45 minutes after the official sunrise time. We've been in a drier weather cycle, so the amount of water yesterday was about half of what was flowing when we visited a week earlier.

Shot with Nikon D90. PP in Capture NX2 and Photoshop CS4