Waterfalls and Covered Bridges in Northeast Pennsylvania

Spend 2 days photographing some of Northeast Pennsylvania’s finest scenery. Join nature photographer Sean Quintilian for a day in Ricketts Glen State Park as well as the surrounding countryside. All this during peak fall colors for upstate PA.

We will be working out of the town of Bloomsburg PA, and photographing on Saturday and Sunday. A block of rooms have been reserved at the Quality Inn for Friday and Saturday night, so no need to book a room. If you want to stay an extra night (Sunday) please let Sean know so he can extend a reservation for you. The room cost will be approximately $225 for the 2 nights. Participants will pay at check in for the rooms. Those who arrive early enough Friday evening, we will grab dinner together around 7:00.

Our day on Saturday will begin with a covered Bridge shoot at sunrise. We will return to Bloomsburg for breakfast, and then head off to Ricketts Glen for the rest of the day.

Ricketts Glen may well be the crown jewel of the PA state park system, with 24 named waterfalls, it’s a photographer’s dream. On this trip we will photograph a minimum of 4 falls, with teaching on the use of polarizing and neutral density filters. Participants will learn how to reduce glare from the water and how to both blur or freeze the flow of water over the falls. The hike at Ricketts Glen is steep and requires a sturdy pair of hiking boots. As a group we will hike down to the 4th fall along the trail, after photographing the tallest fall in the park (96 feet tall) participants will have the option to continue down to another fall or two, or start to slowly make their way back uphill, with stops at 3 other falls along the way. Consider bringing a pair of hiking sticks, and a backpack to carry your gear.

Columbia and Montour Counties have dozens of covered bridges that have been preserved as historical spots as well as many that are still in use. The group will have a sunrise shoot each morning (Saturday and Sunday) at a covered bridge, as well as shooting as many as 8 additional bridges on Sunday. Time will be spent at each bridge to cover as many perspectives as possible, shooting reflections in the creeks, shooting under the bridges as well as using flash inside the bridges for proper exposure out windows. Participants who have some hip boots or chest waders are encouraged to bring them, some of the best shots can come from the middle of the creeks.

Landscapes will be the primary focus of this trip. A selection of lenses from wide angle (24mm) to mid-telephoto (200mm) will do quite well, an ultra-wide may also come in handy. A solid, sturdy tripod is a must, we will be attempting exposures up to 30 seconds long. A quality polarizing filter is a must and a 2 or 4 stop neutral density filter will come in handy. A flash will also come in handy, or a camera with a built in flash that can be set manually.