"The Earth Beneath My Feet"

"What a joy it is to feel the soft, springy earth under my feet once more, to follow grassy roads that lead to ferny brooks where I can bathe my fingers in a cataract of rippling notes, or to clamber over a stone wall into green fields that tumble and roll and climb in riotous gladness!"  Helen Keller

I love sitting next to streams, listening to the soft sounds of the water falling over rocks, rushing to an end destination.  When photographing streams I sometimes use a fast shutter speed to stop the motion of the water and show the tremendous power that it possesses.  Other times, like in this case, I use a slow shutter speed to alter reality by slowing the motion of the water to create a soft, gentle look.  Creating the "soft water" look is my favorite method of shooting waterfalls and streams, but I usually shoot them both ways for those who prefer to see the individual droplets of water.