While it was blue skies in the morning, the afternoon saw torrential rain in Hulu Langat. The area known for its rivers and waterfalls is a favourite haunt for picnickers.
Rain means the Pangsun River is fast flowing but there is one way to slow it down for the camera. An ND (neutral density) filter coupled with a very long exposure. The result is a creamy and silky river.
Olympus OM-D, ISO 200, f11, 30 sec on tripod.
Looking down at the mossy ground I was walking on at the Sungai Liam waterfalls, I see nature’s wondrous art. Leaves turned from green to yellow to amber to white. More than beauty, it is Mother’s Nature way of recycling. The leaves rot and decompose into the top soil from which the shedding tree grew from.
Sadly, at many of our popular waterfalls, visitors have discarded stuff that will never bio-degrade. They dump styrofoam food containers and plastic bags at the very spot they picnic at. As a result, there is garbage in every rock crevice. The streams have rubbish floating into every nook and cranny.
I was at the launch of the Sustainable Waterfall Adoption Program in Ulu Yam. It is a noble initiative to clean up, sustain & protect selected waterfalls. Funded by Alstom as a community service project and supported by the Selangor Association Of Waterfalls (Pertubuhan Pencinta Air Terjun Selangor), the program is hoping to raise public awareness on the need to conserve our natural treasures.
Olympus OM-D, ISO 200, f5, 1/125 sec.
I asked the friendly Bentong folk what is next best attraction after Kow Po Ice Cream. Everyone recommended another milky thing. The Chamang Falls. So I drove 7 kilometres on a lonely, winding and scenic route. At the end of the road is a beautiful, long, cascading waterfall with a gentle drop of about 100 feet. Hearing its roar alone, is worth the trip.
I was in the Gunung Tahan National Park area recently and had to take a boat for 45 minutes before trekking another 2 hours to see/hear a similar waterfall. Here, I drove right up to the edge of one. It is a drive-in, walk-in waterfall 🙂 There are ample parking lots, toilet facilities and yet strangely; not one soul was around. Maybe it was late on a weekday, maybe not many know about it. It was eerily deserted.
I have been in the jungle all by myself at night and didn’t feel spooked. I felt a little scared here. It was creepy seeing all the man-made structures around and not a single human was to be found. Like a proverbial ghost town.
Photography notes: A 1/2 second exposure was the slowest speed I could attain without a ND or polarising filter. The slow shutter created the creamy, milky look in the fast flowing water. A tripod was required but since I didn’t want to spend too much time for safety reasons, I placed the camera on a rock.
