I love the muted background and intimate, womb-like feeling of photographs made in fog. I also love shooting water, particularly waterfalls and cascades. The Falls Creek Cascade is a steep, rugged and--to the careless or unwisely adventurous--dangerous ribbon of water that tumbles hundreds of feet off the escarpment on its way to the valley below. Located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Ashe County, NC, the cascade is easy to view from the park service trail, but difficult to photograph.

On this particular July morning, I arrived at the cascade parking area just after dawn. The hint of fog that greeted me at the trail head thickened steadily as I descended toward the cascade. By the time I reached this particular vantage point, the fog was so thick that it all but completely obscured the dense forest less than 50 feet away, imparting a mysterious, almost eerie quality to the scene. Coupled with the roar of the water, so loud that it was difficult to hear my camera's shutter close on the long exposures required by the conditions, the fog contributed to a very private feeling in a spot that is usually the site of frequent visitation.