Low water on the Shenandoah

By early September the river usually drops to its lowest levels of the year, exposing rock bars that stay underwater most of spring. Calm, shallow water like this makes for near-perfect reflections — the whole scene practically mirrors itself along the surface.

Getting the shot

Shot low with the rocks in the immediate foreground to give the wide river some depth and scale. An HDR blend held detail across the bright sky and the darker, shaded water without either end blowing out or going flat.