What really never ceases to amaze me is how many people there are that are unaware of the grand natural beauty of the Bluegrass State. Ask most people about the waterfalls our state has to offer and you’ll get a lot of the same, obvious answers. Pretty much everyone knows of Cumberland Falls. A few more will be able to name Creation Falls and possibly Dog Slaughter Falls. As of late, some others, such as Copperas Falls, have become more well-known. The list really doesn’t extend far beyond these, however. What many don't realize is that the Bluegrass State is full of an abundance of amazing waterfalls.

I’m sure by now it’s no surprise that I’m addicted to visiting the many waterfalls that can be found across Kentucky. One of the most common questions I get asked when I share an image of a waterfall is how you can get to the particular falls. Like many landscape photographers these days, I rarely give out specific information about where a photo was taken. This is to help protect these areas from abuse and overcrowding.

I have a really bad habit of discounting some of the natural beauty that can be found throughout Ohio. Despite having spent the majority of my early life in the state and still living quite close, I rarely ever venture up that way for photography.

So far this year, however, I have spent several weekends shooting some of the waterfalls throughout the Buckeye state. Here’s just a small sampling of what I’ve seen so far.

I got 2019 started off right by going to check out two spots in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge that looked curious on LiDAR. In fact, they looked an awful lot like waterfalls! This trip resulted in us documenting two new waterfalls in the Red River Gorge.

If you haven’t noticed yet, I have a minor obsession with visiting and photographing waterfalls. To be honest, it could probably be classified as a sickness at this point! As such, I recently went to scout out some of the off-trail waterfalls in Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave National Park.

It has been a few weeks now since my last trip to the Great Smoky Mountains, but I’d like to take a moment to share the trip with you. 

Over the years I’ve come to spend more and more time shooting out in what some might call “bad weather”. There truly isn’t too much weather that I won’t get out and shoot in at this point (within reason, of course). Your ability to shoot in challenging conditions (and even enjoy it) all comes down to the knowledge you have.

If you look at my Instagram feed, Facebook Page, or anywhere else where I tend to post my photos, you’ll know that lately, I’ve had a small obsession with waterfalls. There’s just something about a cascade of water that is awe-inspiring, leaving me no choice but to photograph it. Oh, and my home state of Kentucky just so happens to be full of beautiful waterfalls! I figured I’d take some time to show off some of my recent waterfall shots and maybe tell some of the stories behind them.

We’ve been in the midst of a deep freeze here in the Bluegrass state, which has meant that the waterfalls across Kentucky have been freezing. Copperas Falls in the Red River Gorge portion of the Daniel Boone National Forest was certainly no exception! For weeks, I had been seeing hints online that the falls off Copperas Creek had frozen to the point of being a solid pillar of ice. Some were even suggesting that it’s the most the falls have frozen in several years. This was just too good of an opportunity to pass up! I messaged @Brian2774 on Instagram, and we made plans to head out to the falls shortly after daybreak on Saturday morning.

This was sure to be an epic trip!