During a photo trip to Bavaria in Germany in June 2022, I visited the famous Partnach Gorge in Garmisch Partenkirchen on a rainy morning. This gorge is located near the Wetterstein mountains and close to the Zugspitze.
The picture was taken without precise planning, but I visited this gorge to take photographs. The gorge is usually very busy as it is one of the most important tourist destinations in southern Bavaria and the foothills of the Alps. I set off very early so that I was there right at opening time. At that time, and thanks to the rain, nobody was there yet and I was able to set up my tripod in peace on the narrow paths through the gorge.
While looking at the rushing river in the gorge, I noticed the small branch, which surprisingly had not been swept away by the current. It is typical of my photography that my compositions are very intuitive. I catch sight of something and then I try to arrange an image from it. During post-processing, I realized that the rocks and the branch formed a very harmonious, balanced composition. As you can see, the branch was moving in the wild water. At first, I was unhappy about this, but then I thought that this showed exactly how strong the current of the river was. It was important to me to take a long exposure to do justice to my aesthetic sensibilities, but this was at odds with the branch, which became blurred as a result. The long exposure in particular makes it possible to give the image a rather minimalist look.
I love to use this stylistic device to show the viewer exactly which object is at the centre of the photo. During post-processing in Lightroom, I opted for the cooler colours of the white balance. The contrast between the blue water and the white of the waves of the impetuous river reinforces my intention to depict a mountain river in a gorge.
