Pouring bliss... Feel the Flow #5 - a photo on Flickriver

The Val Bregaglia is one of the most beautiful valleys in the Alps. Although it is on the Italian side of the Alpine watershed, the high valley has been in Switzerland since the Italian protestants wanted to be part of that country in mid-16th century, to avoid the Inquisition. However the low Val Bregaglia, often called Valchiavenna, lays in Italy and the river Mera (Maira in the Swiss part) flows into Lake Como. Acquafraggia* is a short and frequently steep stream flowing from one of the tributary valleys on the right orographical side of the Val Bregaglia. Almost at the end of its precipitous course, the Acquafraggia reaches the outlet of the hanging valley where it flows, forming a couple of twin most beautiful waterfalls. Even Leonardo da Vinci was impressed by these waterfalls, and they are mentioned in the Codex Atlanticus (a marvel I have been able to see and touch only once during my years working at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana). Curiously, I have been not able to find any statement about the height of the final waterfalls of the Acquafraggia: they always quote that Leonardo says they are about "400 braccia Milanesi" ( = Milanese unit of lenght, an arm's length; Leonardo was working in the Duchy of Milan between 1482 and 1499).

I have photographed the Acquafraggia waterfalls times upon times, but I have never found those shots even remotely satisfying. At last I have realised that trying to depict the twin waterfalls in their entirety has a reductive effect on their beauty and majesty. So I decided to capture a small series of details, mainly to be processed in bw. This photo is the fifth in the series, possibly the last one (maybe). Water flows and sprinkles like flowing and sprinkling light, playing with the huge, severe granite boulders. Like love in our lives, which we celebrate today, Valentine's Day.
You might wonder how this shot is really different from the previous ones. In a way it obviously is, of course. I might add that I enjoy this monochrome processing of waterfalls, so I might have posted it for the mere sake of postprocessing fun. But there is still one point - a major point you couldn't possibly know. You'll see quite soon, when I post the colour version of this shot. So, stay tuned! ;-)

Since I did not expect to engage myself in "serious" photography that day (I had my camera mainly for family & friends candid portraits), I was shooting handheld single RAWs.

RAWs processed with Darktable. Further processing (including the monochrome via LAB channels decomposition) with The Gimp, with a slight titanium tint.

* This apparently silly name derives from the Latin phrase and toponym Aqua fracta, i.e. "precipitous water" or "fragmented water" (because of the many waterfalls it forms during its brief course covering a staggering 2,000 mt drop (more than 6,500 ft))

Taken in: Italy / Lombardy / Piuro / Borgonuovo (show map)

Taken on: February 14, 2021

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Codex Atlanticus

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Valentine's Day « less

Sets appears in: • Acquafraggia • BW/monochrome pics

Groups appears in: • BW and Sepia • ! 30-59 Faves (P1,A+F3) more » • ! !Photographers Truly Wild! (L1) (P1: FAV/AW3) « less

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