Searcy County

• Meister Eckhart.

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The water level was high enough to tempt me away from crossing the creek when I visited the beautiful Richland creek wilderness area last year. But this year, we had an unusually dry summer and fall, which meant that we could cross the creek and get some interesting images, especially at the gorgeous six-finger falls.For the composition, my plan was simple. I wanted to use the strong patterns on the rocks to drive the viewer’s attention to the beautiful colors and the stunning evening light on the trees.

• Ellsworth Huntington.

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After moving to Arkansas, one of the first things I did was map out some exciting photo locations that we could visit locally. One of the spots that caught my interest was the falling water creek near Ben Hur, Arkansas. The reason was waterfalls, a lot of them along a short dirt road. Of all the waterfalls in the area, the Six Finger Falls stood out. I don’t think I have ever seen a waterfall like this, and I immediately marked it as a must-visit.

2020 bound me to home like everyone else, but I knew I wanted to give it at least a shot. So when my wife got restless from being cooped up at home and demanded an outing, I suggested the trip. The waterfall drive was pretty uneventful, but the waterfall was everything it promised to be from the images that I have seen. My first shot at the location was a standard panorama from the rock shelf, acting as a viewing platform for the falls. The turquoise color of the water was just an unexpected bonus. While the fall colors were not spectacular near where I live, the creek had some fantastic foliage around its banks.

• Michelangelo.

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The first time I visited six finger falls in the Ozark National Forest, I could not cross the stream and get to one of the better vantage points. Relatively high flow of water was one reason. Th other was that I reached the falls too late. With the sun going down fast, I didn’t have time to check for alternate paths to cross the creek. The first visit helped me plan our second visit much better, and on our second time at the park, we witnessed a completely different creek. I saw multiple places to cross and a much more subdued stream. Thankfully I could climb to the vantage point this time and wait out all the other visitors before the light went away.

From this vantage point, I could compose a shot of the falls area with water and avoid the dry parts. Fall colors were also concentrated to this side, making the image more colorful. After visualizing it for almost a year, I really enjoyed finally managing to take this image.

• Franz Kafka.

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Recently I had the opportunity to go to this fantastic waterfall called six finger falls in the Ozark national forest. It was my first time in the area, and my usual diligent planning strategy was thwarted by an unnecessary refresh initiated by my planning app. Plus, the waterfall did not have any signposts alerting visitors as well, and so finding the waterfall turned out to be a last-minute race against the fading light rather than a well planned and executed shoot.

From the images that I have seen online, there is a giant boulder in front of this waterfall, which provides an excellent vantage point to photograph the waterfall. Unfortunately for me, the water level was a bit high to access the boulder, and shooting from further back, the boulder blocked most of the waterfall. While it's disappointing not getting the image you had in mind, I have learned to use it as an opportunity to scout for other possible compositions. I am not sure if I am fully convinced with this composition, but it gives prominence to the rock's unique patterns that make Six finger falls unique.