Scenic Waterways (shooting in Shannon County Missouri)
November 27, 2010.Standing in the dark high above the river bottom below on an especially chilly Mid-October morning, I began to have second thoughts about leaving the toasty warmth of my car not 40 feet away. This hadn't been a planned trip, but a decision I'd made at 3:30 A.M. while finishing up the seemingly never ending task of organizing photography folders. My body was saying it was bed time, but my mind was saying I was in need a day trip, so I grabbed my camera gear and jumped in the car for the 1 1/2 hour trip South.
I'd been to this particular spot above the Jack's Fork National Scenic River in the middle of a bright day once before, (which by the way is the absolute worst conditions for photography), and thought this would probably be a great spot for a sunrise capture. Many photographers are so in tune with the trajectories of the sun and moon, even tracking locations with GPS devices, that they can tell on any given day the exact location of where the sun or moon will rise. I'm not that diligent, though I did know that if I got there soon enough, that the sun would rise somewhere over the ridge line in the background of the picture posted above. I'm more of an East West person you might say. In the end I was glad that I took the time for this unplanned trip, and resisted the urge to wimp out and go back to the car to warm up. The feelings of being cold seemed to slowly dissipate while I watched as the sky began to glow in the rich predawn shades of blue and red minutes as a prelude to the sun peaking over the ridge.
Shannon County holds the distinction of being the place where two of Missouri's three designated National Rivers converge. America's first National River was the Buffalo River in Arkansas. The next two rivers to become federally protected were the Current and Jack's Fork rivers in Missouri. Because of this, neither river will ever face the prospect of being impounded. Every Summer, both the Current and Jack's Fork are enjoyed by thousands of floaters.
Sticking with federally protected waterways, I'll now move on to a less well known, but extraordinarily beautiful spot inside of Shannon County. Waterfalls are always a highlight for photographers, and an argument could be made that Shannon County has Missouri's most beautiful waterfall of all. As for myself, I hold it in a dead tie with Grand Falls in South West Missouri which I'll talk about in a later blog.
Rocky Falls is located East of the town of Eminence. The falls are of a shut-in type similar to that found elsewhere in Missouri like places such as, Johnson Shut-Ins State Park, and the St. Francois Shut-Ins which holds the distinction of having Missouri's only class IV white water. My best friend Tracy Perren who holds a geology degree could explain it much better than I, but in a nutshell, shut-ins are created by millions of years of erosion where water comes in contact with extremely hard rock such as granite. Eventually the water cuts through the rock and provides paths for the water to flow with less resistance.
Like the Current River, and Jack's Fork, Rocky Falls has been included as a protected site by the National Park System. Rock Creek continues on below the falls until it meets the Current River. Though these blogs are meant as much for anyone just interested in areas to explore in Missouri, I'll conclude with a few ideas that could save time for anyone who has never been to the area to get the most from a photography standpoint out of a quick day trip. The best time for photography anywhere is what's referred to as the golden hours. In theory that would be the hour after sunrise and the hour right before sunset. As the angle of the Earth tilts in Autumn and Winter, I'd argue that the times for good photography greatly increases. In Winter, I personally like the light even on bright days with the exception of a couple of straight mid-day sun.
The photo taken above the Jack's Fork is from an unofficial overlook located about one mile past the turn off for Alley Mill if you are traveling West on highway 106. By setting up just prior to dawn, you'll find yourself in a perfect position to catch the sunrise, and with luck will have a layer of river mist below you. Rocky falls can be located by heading East on highway 106 outside of Eminence. There is a sign in Eminence pointing to Powder Mill, with no mention of Rocky Falls, however this will still lead you to Rocky Falls. You'll travel 6 or so miles before seeing a sign to turn off for the falls. Simply follow the signs. The hike from the parking lot couldn't be easier. You'll be within a couple hundred feet of the falls, and can hear the water rushing over the 40 foot drop. Though it is beautiful morning and evening, I usually shoot this location late afternoon into evening to get the shadows crossing the hard rock of the falls. Whether your just going for a visit or to snap some pics, it's a gorgeous spot. In the Summer, the pool below the falls also serves as perhaps the states most beautiful swimming hole.
Two blogs on Shannon County under my belt and I haven't even scratched the surface of a fraction of the wonders of this beautiful area. I'll return at a later date for future blogs on this beautiful and historic county.
© Tommy Burgess
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