Buderim Forest Park, Sunshine Coast
Located approximately 100 km north of Brisbane, Serenity Falls is one of the most accessible and easy to photograph waterfalls in Southeast Queensland. Standing roughly 10 meters high and spanning 15 meters across, there is reliable waterflow over the falls all year round. It is a great spot to visit if you don't fancy a hike and want to get straight into some photography.
From the main parking lot, it takes roughly 15-20 minutes to walk down to the base of the falls. Once you arrive at the falls, there are a number of different vantage points. To best capture the falls and the amphitheater, I would suggest using both a wide-angle lens (14-16mm DSLR equivalent) and a short focal length zoom lens (35-70mm DSLR equivalent) to frame some of the features.
When you visit Serenity Falls, make sure you go before first light or are prepared to stay after sunset. This fixes two problems, on a sunny day it removes the harsh sunlight that filters through the canopy into the amphitheater, and it ensures the many day trippers that visit the falls don't fill your images. If you don't manage to avoid the visitors, especially on a hot day, bring a three or six stop neutral density filter to slow your shutter speed right down and create a time lapse. Regardless of whether you choose to use neutral density filters, I still suggest using a circular polariser to add a bit of colour and take some of the surface glare off the water.
There are a couple of different locations around the falls that you can choose. I have provided some examples below, but be creative and try a number of perspectives and compositions. The falls change significantly depending on the rainfall, so no two visits are the same.
Part three of series is coming shortly. If you like what you are reading or want to hear about a particular set of falls, feel free to get in touch.
Cheers,
Russell