I revisited the wonderful McGowans Falls last week. Unlike my previous visit, which was in the late summer, there was a great amount of water and the falls were at their best. Winter and spring really are the best seasons for visiting and photographing waterfalls for this very reason.

McGowans Falls in the Tarkine

The falls are an easy walk on a well tagged track, although a lot of fallen trees means there are a few places where you  will need to scan around for the track before going ahead. The road is 2WD accessible, although it is an unsealed logging road and there are some pretty serious potholes.

Beautiful ferns in front of the falls

The track first takes you to the to of the falls where there are lovely views of tall eucalypts towering over dark green rainforest. From here it is quite a steep descent to the bottom of the falls – this section is a little trickier than the first part of the walk. For photography purposes though it is well worth the effort 🙂

McGowans Falls in the Tarkine. A beautiful waterfall and a joy to photograph.

The day was perfect for photographing waterfalls – overcast, and even light rain at times. There was basically no wind, meaning the ferns and trees weren’t moving too much, important when doing long exposures. I was very excited about the compositions – the swirl pool in the bottom right and the distinct cleft in the rock in the middle (above image). One of my more rewarding Tasmanian waterfall shoots in  a long time 🙂

The rainforest surrounding the falls was stunning too.

Giant tree ferns downstream of the waterfall

Anyone keen to photograph waterfalls should make an effort to get out in the months ahead. I run regular photography tours and workshops which include waterfall shoots, including Mt Field, Cradle Mountain and the Tarkine. Click here for info on all my workshops.