New Zealand The Rain Forest at Roaring Billy Falls

As one approaches the west coast of New Zealand the rain forests become more apparent with incredible ferns. One particular area to view and photograph these is the short walk to the Roaring Billy Falls. The falls themselves are of little photographic interest as there is limited viewing and no foreground elements. The forest though is amazing.

This is a tough shot as there is a wide tonal range. One could use HDR, which I don't like, or shoot RAW and work hard with Lightroom to maximize the shadows and highlights. Use a polarizer to not only help tame these but also saturate the colors.

Travel along Highway 6; the falls are well sign-posted to the north side of the road with ample parking. This is less crowded than the other falls but still arrive early to avoid the crowds and also make the exposure easier.