Horseshoe Falls, also known as the Canadian Falls is the largest of the three waterfalls that form Niagara Falls on the border between the USA and Canada:
But this story is nothing about that one. I recently won a competition on Fine Art America with a piece of Digital Art that was taken at Horseshoe Falls and had some cows gently drinking in the calm waters of the river. As you can imagine, that would be pretty tricky here in the Niagara River!
The Real Horseshoe Falls
Horseshoe Falls in Wales was constructed by the famous engineer Thomas Telford as part of the construction of the canal and the massive viaducts he built nearby to cross the valley of the River Dee in North Wales. Canals need to be supplied with water to keep the levels up and so he constructed this small weir and a feeder waterway to bring water to the main canal in 1808. When we visited, it was a lovely warm, calm afternoon with the sun slowly setting in the west to bring delightful light into the scene. So here are the Horseshoe Falls of this story:
The falls are quite near to Llangollen and if you ever visit that area of North Wales, well worth a detour! Also, just along the valley is a delightful little church with overgrown graveyard that was full of dandelions on our visit:
But back to the story. The river here, the River Dee, meanders very slowly across the meadows before reaching the weir and as I got to the riverbank, I noticed a small herd of cows making their way to take an evening drink before going back to the farm for milking. Just why they do this as a group is a mystery to me! But I thought the composition with the calm water reflecting the trees and the cows lined up to step into the water was just perfect:
Zooming in a bit more, I could focus in on the pattern the cows were making and getting a more intimate view of the herd.
When I looked at this version, I immediately thought of the work of John Constable, the famed English Landscape painter. But this image looked a little too sharp and clinical – almost like a photograph from a high-end digital camera, not from a paintbrush. And, so, I decided to do some Photoshop magic on it and convert it into a digital oil painting just like Constable would have liked! Perhaps!
This is the final image that I entered into the competition and was very pleased to get the first place. If you can picture this on your wall on a canvas frame, it is available here!
So now you know the true location of Horseshoe Falls!
Bob Decker
7 Mar 2022I can’t help but wonder how many waterfalls bare the name “Horsehoe Falls!” I bet there are a few. Congratulations on the contest win. Well deserved.
Steve Heap
7 Mar 2022THanks! You are right of course – I was just advised that there are a few in Wales, never mind around the world. Makes a nice lead into the story though!
Louis Dallara Fine Art Photography
7 Mar 2022Steve; Great story and beautiful images. Congratulations on the win.
Steve Heap
7 Mar 2022Thanks Louis! I always liked that shot!
jim hughes
7 Mar 2022What a beautiful peaceful place. And I must have some distant relatives in Wales, although no one in the family has ever researched it. Maybe we’ll visit some day. The world’s big tourist spots are overwhelmed – it’s time to visit Wales.
Steve Heap
7 Mar 2022Thanks Jim – yes, Wales is one of the unspoiled areas of the world. Dramatic but empty! In fact, I have just written another article about Wales on this site. I’m trying to get my email notification of new posts working and I need to keep writing them!
Hughes is an extremely popular name in Wales, so you could be right!