Charlie Falls, a large waterfall in Western North Carolina, peeks through the dense rhododendron trees while bathing in beautiful sunlight.

This is Charlie Falls, a large but relatively unknown waterfall near Lake Glenville, North Carolina. The waterfall itself is very sunny, as it’s in a large clearing. However, the stream quickly becomes re-shrouded in shade underneath a dense rhododendron forest. From that vantage, the cascade takes on a whole new feeling. One of secrecy and discovery, as if you have just stumbled upon a hidden waterfall. If you visit in the right weather on the right time of day in the right time of year, the sunlight’s afternoon rays light up the mist brilliantly, further amplifying the experience. This just goes to show you that in photography, rules are meant to be broken every now and then. Shooting waterfalls in bright sunlight is typically very hard, and the results are typically underwhelming. But sometimes, when you break the rules, they shatter fantastically.

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