Description

Proxy Falls is a gorgeous and notable falls in Oregon’s Central Cascades that I had known about for decades but had never visited. I finally got my chance in July 2024, arriving at the falls about half an hour before sunset. After scrambling around to find a good position I captured this image at a moment when the sun slipped behind a small cloud, eliminating the few odd patches of light on the falls. A forest fire had started nearby earlier that day, and smoke was altering the color and strength of the sunlight, changing the mood of everything around me. I do love the deep shadow and the strange orange light that I found myself and this waterfall in that evening – it helped me create an image that is a far cry from the lush misty emerald spring photos usually seen of Proxy Falls. However, since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I will be back in 2025 to try my hand at getting that calendar-worthy misty shot when the falls are running high and there is more daylight to illuminate the scene.