Top waterfalls
WaterfallBenham Falls
WaterfallDillon Falls
WaterfallTumalo Falls
WaterfallCline Falls
WaterfallPaulina Falls
WaterfallLava Island Falls
WaterfallAwbrey Falls
WaterfallChush Falls
WaterfallPringle Falls
WaterfallBig Falls
WaterfallBridge Creek Falls
WaterfallFall River Falls
WaterfallOdin Falls
WaterfallPaulina Creek Falls
WaterfallUpper Falls Deschutes River
Map
How to photograph waterfalls
Waterfalls photograph best in soft, even light: overcast days, deep shade, or the hour after sunrise before direct sun hits the water. Bright sun on white water blows highlights and adds harsh contrast.
- Use 1/4 to 1 second for a silky look; 1/500 s or faster freezes individual drops.
- A circular polarizer cuts glare on wet rocks and leaves and deepens greens — rotate it while watching the rocks, not the sky.
- Spring snowmelt and the days after heavy rain give the strongest flow; late summer flow can drop to a trickle.
- Look for a foreground: a mossy boulder, a fallen log or the creek's leading lines make a stronger frame than the falls alone.
- Keep a microfiber cloth handy — spray drifts onto the lens, especially at the plunge pool.
Season: Peak flow is usually in late spring; autumn adds color around the falls, and winter can bring ice formations at colder locations.