499 - Greeter Falls
I need to get my shit together. For the fourth time in three years of living on the road, I ran out of gas. And this time it was in the middle of rural Tennessee.
Fortunately, I have an excuse for the last three times. The dashboard on my Prius is completely out (and has been out) for years now, so I can’t see where my gas gauge is at. It’s a complete guess as to when I need to refill it. It seems to last for roughly 3-4 hours of highway driving, or 10-12 hours of city driving. As you can probably guess, I like to push that number.
But I’ll get to that fun story in a bit. First things first. Photography.
Now, I realize my posting schedule has been a little wack lately, so I apologize for that. Transitioning back into living in the United States hasn’t come without a few hiccups, so you’re gonna have to bear with me here.
Today’s adventure was at Greeter Falls, which is a massive cascade a couple hours east of Nashville. AKA, it’s in the middle of nowhere. I showed up about three hours before sunset, because the day was cloudy as hell- perfect conditions for a waterfall shoot.
The interesting thing about Tennessee is that it reminds me a lot of Arkansas. With all the bluffs, rivers, and vibrant humidity, it’s almost a replica in some regards. However, Greeter Falls blew my mind because it felt like the coolest parts of Arkansas (the bluffs,) combined with the coolest parts of Oregon (the waterfalls.)
I literally had to walk down a hundred foot spiral staircase just to get down to the base of this waterfall- that’s how big this place was. The best thing about this waterfall was that it had trees over the top of the waterfall, so I didn’t have to include the sky in the backdrop. I might have mentioned this in my last post, but honestly it’s such a good tip I’m including it twice.
At this point I went absolutely nuts. I hadn’t shot in a week or two, and it all came out at once. I think I got 10-15 different angles of the waterfall, all focus stacked and everything. This first one was my top gun:
“Ace of Spades”
Taken with Sony a7rIII + Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8
[ISO 64 ~ 17mm ~ f/13 ~ 0.6s]
(Want a Print? Get it here.)
I love those rock layers, they almost look like cards being dealt on a table. Couple that with the green plant specs poking through and they make for a solid foreground. One way I’ve found to make those rocks more 3D is to burn a little bit more shade under them- the contrast will help them pop.
Moving on, I wanted a shot that encompassed the waterflow. One thing I’ve been trying to focus on lately is getting up close and personal with the water. I want that foreground to be right in your face, and even create some interesting shapes depending on the shutter speed.
Check this shot out:
“Water Fire”
Taken with Sony a7rIII + Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8
[ISO 64 ~ 17mm ~ f/11 ~ 1/5s]
(Want a Print? Get it here.)
The water almost looks like a flame. I’ll also note that this shot is balanced very well. Something I’ve been actively avoiding in a lot of my latest adventures (purely for experimentation,) but I was feeling a comeback today. You really can’t go wrong with balance. It’s making an unbalanced shot look good that’s hard.
Here’s the third and final shot I got:
“Greeter Town”
Taken with Sony a7rIII + Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8
[ISO 125 ~ 17mm ~ f/11 ~ 1/3s]
(Want a Print? Get it here.)
Not my favorite, but I enjoyed the overview of the scene. Added a bit of perspective that I want to remember about the place. Fun tip, if you’re not sure which photos you like best, ask random people in whatever coffee shop you’re working at. It makes for a great conversation starter.
Either way, it was a solid session. Such a solid session in fact, that on the way back I was basked in euphoria as my engine slowly sputtered to stop. Fuck.
I completely forgot to refill my tank before leaving.
It was just past twilight, and luckily I was able to get the Prius on a dirt pull-off before total darkness. Imagine if it just ran out in the middle of the road- I’d be fucked.
I looked on my map and saw that the nearest gas station was 5 miles away. I’M WAS SO CLOSE. Yet so far… A ten mile walk. I decided to pick up my phone and call State Farm, with whom I’d purchased roadside assistance. (A game-changer.) In the past they’d gotten gas for me within 20 minutes of calling them. But this time I wasn’t in a city.
Three hours later I was still on hold, as they couldn’t find a provider to bring me anything. I’d even tried my luck calling a few tow companies, who told me they’d call back but never did.
By this point it was almost 11PM, and I was honestly too tired to think about the reality of the situation. I just climbed in the back of the Prius and fell asleep, hoping that by morning things would resolve themselves.
At 6AM, I was awakened by a phone call from State Farm asking if I still needed assistance.
“Um… Yes…”
She told me they couldn’t find anybody all night, but they’d keep trying. AKA, I was fucked.
I decided to take matters into my own hands. By now there was a wide-variety of cars driving by, and I realized I only had to get five miles down the road… Why not try to hitch a ride? If I can get there one-way, a 5 mile walk back wouldn’t be too bad.
If the guy from Into the Wild can get all the way to Alaska hitchhiking safely, why couldn’t I? I cleaned myself up a bit, and got a ride after 5 cars passed, within about 20 minutes.
Not bad. The guy who picked me up was a local physical therapist who essentially just complained about “city folk” ruining the countryside the whole time. I’d expect nothing less from rural Tennessee. But I can’t complain- he saved my day.
He even ended up taking me back once he found out I was gonna walk back with the gas canister. +1 point for Tennessee. I guess this place ain’t all bad. Also +1 point for my bucket list, I’ve been meaning to hitchhike forever… I just never had a valid reason to do it.
Back on the road! That’s today’s shoot folks. Some saucy falls and gassy hitchhiking. That sounds fucking weird. Alright I’ll see ya next time… ON MY 500TH ADVENTURE!
I’m on a mission to explore as much as humanely possible.
Want to see my progress? Check out the Adventure Map.
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