Best of List--Top 20 Number 5--Matthiessen State Park

Number 5 on the top 20 list is closer to home as I attended a photo walk back in 2010 at Matthiessen State Park in Illinois near the far more popular Starved Rock SP. Shooting with my Nikon D700 I was playing with long exposure photography, which helped get the silky smooth flow of the water coming over the falls. This shot was taken with a 10 stop neutral density filter so this is a 30 second exposure at a f25 aperture which helps get that depth of field in the shot. It was a cold, wet shot as well, as we were standing in the river with our tripods, but the water was only ankle deep. Several years ago, the trees finally fell away so the cross is no longer there.

There is a second shot at this same location that I took in 2013, which is not part of my top 20 that is still one of my favorites. I did an engagement shoot for Cheryl's cousin, Amber and her then fiance, Mike. They are married now, but back in 2013 I suggested this location for an engagement shoot as I knew that they lived out that way and unbeknownst to me, this is the exact spot where they got engaged. Talk about coincidence!!! I really like this shot of them looking at the falls so, I will include their shot as part of my 20 favorites.

Have to get back and shoot here again sometime as it is a fun place to shoot. In the winter you get these incredible frozen falls which is fun to see, like the picture below, taken in 2014 at the nearby Starved Rock SP. Great area to shoot in any season.