19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Santa Maria Jump and Milky Way

The Milky Way Core appears over the Santa Maria jump, one of the main waterfalls of the Iguassu Falls complex. Iguassu Falls are the largest set of waterfalls in the world, with more than 275 different waterfalls and an average flow of about 1.5 million cubic meters of water per second. Photographing using long exposure techniques in places very close to the waterfalls, as was the case in the image above, becomes a great challenge. The water spray generated is so intense we have the impression of photographing under the shower. Under these conditions, making exposures of more than 15 seconds is practically impossible, since the lens gets wet right after the start of captures. There is no alternative but to take several images of the same scene, cleaning the lens constantly between shots, and hope that some of them are perfectly sharp. Despite the setbacks, this was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had as a photographer.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 05.2021
Date Uploaded: 11.2021
Photo Location: Foz do IguaƧu, Brazil
Copyright: © VICTOR LIMA