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Posts Tagged ‘Waterfalls’

9 Great Tips to Photograph Waterfalls (video)

08 Feb

The post 9 Great Tips to Photograph Waterfalls (video) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

In this new video from Mads Peter Iversen, he gives you 9 great tips to photograph waterfalls. With some great tips and beautiful scenery, this video will have you taking better photos of waterfall landscapes in no time.

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You’ll learn about camera settings, shutter speeds, composition (including moving around to get the most from your image), and other practical tips such as filters and tripods.

Shot in the beautiful Lofoten in Norway, which is not known for its waterfalls, Iversen has to work a little harder to capture these images.

Do you have any other tips for photographing waterfalls that you would like to share with us? Are there things you agree or disagree with in this video? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

If you want to improve your landscape photography, try our Landscape & Nature Photography Course.

 

You may also like:

  • How to Shoot and Process Better Waterfall Photos
  • 6 Tips for How to Photograph Waterfalls
  • 3 Tips for Waterfall Photography Beyond Just Using a Long Exposure
  • Shooting Better Waterfalls: Five Tips for Improving Your Waterfall Photography
  • 9 Top Tips for Shooting Waterfalls, Creeks and Streams
  • Beginner’s Guide to Waterfall Photography
  • The dPS Top Landscape Photography Tips of 2019
  • 6 Vital Things to Look for When Photographing Landscapes
  • How to Plan the Perfect Landscape Photo

The post 9 Great Tips to Photograph Waterfalls (video) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.


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6 Tips for How to Photograph Waterfalls

22 Feb

Waterfalls are some of the most beautiful natural features you will ever get the chance to photograph and are a very popular subject for landscape photographers. Photographing waterfalls provides a great way to get outdoors and explore nature.

 Tips for How to Photograph Waterfalls

There is something magical about the patterns and sounds of flowing water that really heighten your senses and make you feel at one with nature. Although waterfalls look great, you may be wondering well how do I photograph them? Here are six tips to help you on your way.

1 – Get the right equipment

You will be better equipped to photograph waterfalls if you have the right equipment. A wide-angle lens is essential to broaden the angle of view and ensure you are able to photograph the whole waterfall. You will also be able to get up close to the falls rather than photographing them from a distance.

Once you have found a great waterfall and have the right equipment to capture it, you are ready to take some photographs.

6 Tips for How to Photograph Waterfalls

2 – Experiment with different shutter speeds

So now that you have the gear, how do you take photos that capture the authenticity and beauty of the scene?

When photographing waterfalls, finding the ideal shutter speed involves a lot of experimenting. This step is all about trial and error, which is part of the fun. Try taking shots with different shutter speeds and check out the results to see the differences.


I would recommend taking pictures with both fast and slow shutter speeds ranging from between 1/500th of a second to a few seconds and see which style of image you prefer.

3 – Freeze motion

How you shoot waterfalls effectively depends on the look and feel of the image you are trying to achieve. If you want to capture the water in a static way, you will need to choose a fast shutter speed to freeze the motion of the water. This isolates the water in motion and gives a very different result to using an extended shutter speed.

See the difference between the three images below and how the change in shutter speed affects the water. (Images courtesy of dPS Managing Editor, Darlene Hildebrandt)

ISO 100, f/4, no ND filter, 1/640th of a second.

ISO 100, F/22, o.3 sec with ND filter

ISO 100, F/22, 1.3 sec with ND filter

4 – Blur motion

Using a slow shutter speed will help you to capture the water’s movement. You will find that the longer the shutter is open, the smoother the water will be. Be careful not to use a shutter speed that is too slow if the water is very fast flowing as the water may become one large white mass without any definition.

6 Tips for How to Photograph Waterfalls

Generally, you will obtain better results by using an extremely slow shutter speed of over a second. However, this will not be possible if you are hand holding the camera due to excessive camera shake, which brings us to the next tip.

5 – Use a tripod

Investing in a tripod will help to keep the camera more stable and enhance your chances of getting good images. The main advantage of using a tripod is that you are more likely to capture images of waterfalls that are sharper as the camera is less prone to movement during slower exposures.

Using a tripod will allow you to use slower shutter speeds to give you a smoother look and feel to your waterfall images. Images captured using long shutter speeds tend to look more dramatic and the silky water looks more appealing and pleasing to the eye.

If you do not have a tripod, you could set your camera on a stone or some other object to capture part or all of the waterfall.

6 Tips for How to Photograph Waterfalls

6 – Use a polarizing filter

One of the best ways to add some color to your images is to use a polarizing filter. This is a great way to deepen colors by increasing their saturation. But be aware that the polarizer also cuts the amount of light entering the camera, and thus increases your exposure by up to two stops of light.

6 Tips for How to Photograph Waterfalls

Polarizers also help to eliminate glare and reflections from the surface of the water and can be used to increase contrast. This is especially true when shooting during the day in bright conditions.

When adding a polarizer, the water you capture should become blurred, depending on how fast it is flowing. The advantage to using a polarizer is that you can increase the exposure time and slow the shutter speed, as the amount of light going through the lens is decreased. This allows you to create images with motion and silky-smooth water action.

Your turn

With these practical tips, it’s time for you to get out there and start photographing your next waterfall!

The post 6 Tips for How to Photograph Waterfalls by Jeremy Flint appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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8 creative tips for shooting waterfalls

30 Jul

8 Tips For Shooting Waterfalls

Photographing waterfalls can be a tricky endeavor – especially when shooting in conditions where the light can change drastically depending upon the weather conditions. If you’ve ever struggled to get the waterfall shot you envisioned, you’ve come to the right place. This article will cover everything from basic tips to more advanced techniques to make shooting waterfalls a breeze.

Choose the Right Gear for the Job

The most important piece of gear that you will need beyond a camera and lens is a sturdy tripod. This is an absolute must when shooting longer exposures. Here’s a list of a few more important pieces of gear that will come in handy in the field:

  • Tripod: Any time you’re shooting long exposures a tripod is a must
  • Selection of lenses: I generally try to cover a focal range of 16mm to 300mm to give myself a number of options in the field
  • ND filter: I typically don’t use ND filters as I generally shoot fairly short exposures, but they can come in handy depending upon the lighting conditions and the type of water texture you hope to achieve
  • CPL: I always use a circular polarizer when shooting waterfalls as it can really help give the vegetation more ‘pop’ – the above image is an example of where a CPL can make big difference in terms of how the foliage appears in your photo and it can also help enhance the appearance of wet rocks and reflections in the water
  • Remote Shutter Release: This isn’t a necessity but it certainly can make shooting waterfalls a bit easier
  • Rocket Air Blaster and Lens Cleaning Cloths: Let’s face it; you’re going to get wet. Using these two products, plus a waterproof housing (or zip lock baggies) can help to keep your lens and camera dry while shooting
  • Bag of Rice: You never know when disaster may strike, so I always bring a large bag or canister of rice with me in the event that my camera decides to take a dip  

Shoot in Diffused Light

If you’ve ever tried to shoot a waterfall in direct sunlight then you’ll know how difficult it can be. Shooting with an ND filter can help to resolve some of these issues but shooting in diffused light is the best solution to the problem. When planning a waterfall shooting trip I always take a look at the weather forecast and check sunrise/sunset times before heading out to a location.

In general, I’ve found that shooting during the hours just after sunrise offers the best results as morning light can provide some impressive shooting conditions. The image you see here was shot about 3 hours after sunrise at Metlako Falls in the Columbia River Gorge, OR.

Choose the Shutter Speed

It seems like it was only a few years ago that using extremely slow shutter speeds while shooting waterfalls was all the rage, but lately I find myself using shorter shutter speeds to really capture the texture in the water. The rate at which the water is falling dictates how quick or slow of a shutter speed you will need to use when shooting in lower light conditions. To give you an idea, the above image (Panther Creek Falls, WA) was shot at a shutter speed of 1/4 second to freeze the water and capture some of the texture as it cascaded down the rock face.

Choosing a longer shutter speed will soften up the water a great deal and in some cases that’s just what the scene calls for. It really all comes down to personal taste. Experiment with the shutter speed while you’re out in the field – the more options you have the better!

Save the Foliage

If you’ve ever shot a waterfall on a breezy day you know that it’s nearly impossible to utilize slower shutter speeds while simultaneously ‘freezing’ the foliage in the frame. You almost always see motion blur in the vegetation surrounding the waterfall.

To solve this problem I always take at least two exposures: one for the waterfall at your favorite shutter speed to obtain the right amount of water texture, and an additional exposure taken at a much faster shutter speed to freeze the foliage in place. In the above example I blended two exposures together to get sharp foliage along with the amount of water movement I was trying to achieve with the longer exposure.

Choose Your Composition Carefully

Choosing a strong composition can be challenging when shooting waterfalls. Here are a few of the key guidelines that I follow when shooting images like the one you see above:

  • Find a leading line or an ‘S’ to work with in your composition
  • Let the water flow guide you to the focal point
  • Shoot downstream of the waterfall to add depth
  • Utilize rocks and other elements in the scene to guide your eye to the focal point
  • Don’t be afraid to try out several variations – I always shoot at least 3 or 4 compositions at any given location

Think Outside of the Box

One of my favorite things to do while shooting waterfalls is to think outside of the box in regards to composition. Taking an abstract approach to shooting a waterfall can lead to some really fun results. Use different focal lengths and experiment with tighter compositions that may only show a small portion of the waterfall.

I always try to shoot at least a handful of abstract shots while I’m in the field because let’s face it: it’s just plain fun to get the creative juices flowing!

Adjust Your Exposure

Getting the exposure right can be a tricky business when shooting waterfalls. When using longer shutter speeds it’s very important to constantly meter your exposure to make sure that you aren’t losing detail in the water by clipping your highlights. Check the histogram to make sure that you are staying to the left or dead center in your exposure. As the light changes you will have to do this quite often so definitely keep an eye on it!

Provide a Sense of Scale

Waterfalls come in all shapes and sizes, but it’s often difficult to provide a sense of scale while shooting them. Adding a human element to your photo can really bring a whole new sense of wonder and scale to your image. Special thanks to Max Foster for snapping this photo of me at Spirit Falls, WA.  

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Shooting Better Waterfalls: Five Tips for Improving Your Waterfall Photography

14 Apr

Cave Selfie

Perhaps there isn’t a more sought after and photographed subject than water. More specifically, waterfalls. When you really think about it, waterfalls are one of the most basic and simple things that we can find in nature. They are just streams or rivers that happened, by one geological occurrence or another, to find themselves flowing over some height of cliff or stone or other drop-off. Still, we remain captivated by the simple beauty and serenity that can come from being near, and photographing a waterfall.

That’s where we, as photographers, often slam face first into a huge creative and artistic wall. How can you make an interesting photograph of something that has already been so extensively covered by countless other photographers? While there is unfortunately no secret formula for all waterfall photo sessions, there are some very simple and useful tips that can help you create better, and more unique images, of these phenomenal natural occurrences. Let’s dive in (get it?) and get started on the path to better waterfall photography.

Have a plan

I always stress the importance of research and preparedness before any photographic excursion regardless of what the subject or goal might happen to be. This is especially true when you, the outdoor photographer, are readying yourself to photograph waterfalls. There is simply no denying that the more you know about a location, the better your odds will be of coming home with images that you are happy to claim as your own.

Conduct some quick research and find out what the main waterfall or waterfalls are in the area you plan to visit. Google (or another search engine) will be your absolute best friend in this regard. Try to find as many images as you can before you set out so that you can be inspired and have a head start on coming up with your own unique compositions that haven’t been tried with that particular spot.

Map

Also, if at all possible, print out a map of the area and highlight the waterfalls that you feel are the most promising for you on that particular day and focus on those first. Don’t waste time trekking into a place that probably won’t yield a good result. Know before you go, and you will make better use of your time and become a much more efficient shooter.

Use a tripod

The topic of using a tripod can sometimes scare you off just from the sheer repetition of the statement. For whatever reason it seems like this essential bit of knowledge is where most beginner photographers find themselves in a state of complete denial. Believe me, I know how uncomfortable, to downright physically painful and tiring it can be to carry a tripod on your person for an extended amount of time. Still, though not always convenient, a tripod will always help you in the long run to produce better photographs. There is simply no other way to limit camera shake without having a solid shooting platform – there just isn’t. You will need such a platform for the longer exposure times often used when encountering waterfalls. End of story.

Another fact that beginners, and even some seasoned photographers, fail to grasp is that the quality of the tripod plays an essential role in its overall use to you. You will need a tripod that locks securely and reliably, and can handle the weight of whatever camera rig you happen to be shooting, as well as the shooting conditions. I can’t tell you how many long exposure images I ruined due to drifting of the tripod head because all I had available was a suboptimal tripod.

The biggest gripe I hear concerning tripods is that the good ones are too expensive. It’s true that a quality tripod will not be cheap. However, it is just as true that you can still obtain one without being outrageously expensive. Shop around and find a tripod that has good reviews, fits your current needs, and will also grow with you as a photographer. Do you really need carbon fiber? Do you need the most advanced ball head? Ask yourself questions like that and your purchase will make less of a dent on your pocketbook. A good tripod will last you years and yield incredible benefits. It will literally pay for itself and be one of the best investments you will make.

Make the waterfall the secondary subject

Foreground Focus

This image puts the colors of the moss and the detail of the foreground as the first point of interest and less on the waterfall itself.

This tip may seem a little counter intuitive but stay with me. It’s fairly straightforward to walk up to the front of a waterfall and snap a quick photo to take home. That’s great if that’s all you want. But let’s face it, you wouldn’t be pouring through all the great content here on dPS if all you wanted was to make average photos. You want to shoot with a purpose, and make photographs instead of taking snapshots. One of the best ways to do this is to think about the subject differently than the average photographer, and waterfalls offer a great opportunity to do this.

When you arrive at a particular falls you should really study the scene. Give yourself a few minutes before you even start thinking about making an exposure. Watch how the water flows and interacts with the other pieces of the scene. It may be rocks, boulders, sand, trees or any number of artifacts found in such places. Don’t let the waterfall itself distract you from the other photographs that could be there.

After all, the waterfall is not the only thing you notice so why should it be the only thing you show your audience? Look for ways to include different parts of the scene and even have the falls take a back seat if that makes a stronger image. Pay attention to what is often overlooked by other photographers. If you do this you will almost always be able to present the waterfall in a way that has never been seen before.

Pay attention to color

Color is a great way to grab the attention of your viewers and pull them into a photograph. Never underestimate the creative power of color when photographing waterfalls. Water is an incredible thing because it not only reflects the different colors around the surface such as the sky and leaves, but also the colors that come from underneath as well.

Use Color

The first step to getting the most interesting colors from a scene is to always shoot in RAW if at all possible. Shooting RAW will allow the most information to be recorded by your camera sensor, which will in turn give you much greater latitude for getting creative later with your post processing. Experiment with creative white balance and see what happens. Enhance the vibrancy and saturations in some areas and decrease them in another. You will be surprised how much more lively and interesting a waterfall can become with simply letting your imagination run free, and by using color creatively.

On the flip-side of the color coin, is that some waterfalls work much better when photographed in black and white. I have often said that I prefer images that tell a story through black and white, unless the color of the scene can speak louder. If you find yourself shooting a waterfall that lacks a lot of native color then why not put your pre-visualization skills to work (you’re still practicing that, right?) and try to imagine how the image could appear in black and white? Look for contrasts between light and dark areas on rocks, and contrasts within the water itself. Are there any interesting textures or reflections?

Here’s an unprocessed RAW version of a waterfall. Notice there’s not much color to boast about.

Virgin Falls RAW

Here we see the same image after a little cropping and black and white conversion.

Virgin Falls Processed

Lastly, with this photo, the textures and light really made the image so I converted it to black and white as well.

Rocks and Falls

Never discount the power of a monochrome image. Black and white waterfall work can be extremely profitable especially when you’re shooting in the drab and often colorless winter months.

Don’t forget to protect your gear

This isn’t really a tip, but rather a lesson that should be learned and become second nature to the serious waterfaller. When shooting a waterfall of any large size and flow there will always be moisture in the air, whether it is visible to you or not. The shear force of the water impacting the terminus of the fall, with render small droplets into the air that will absolutely ruin your shot and potentially destroy your camera and lenses.

Without Water Drops

The air surround a thirty-five foot waterfall without flash.

Water Drops

Then with a flash firing to show the moisture in the air.

Always use some protective barrier to protect your camera and lens while you set up for your exposure, and for transport around the waterfall. This barrier doesn’t have to be fancy. Personally I use pre sized slip-on plastic container covers that you can pick up at virtually any grocery store. They are perfectly waterproof and fit snugly around my camera and are unnervingly cheap.

Protect Gear

The same goes for your lenses. Even if they are in your camera bag, always protect them from the moisture. Again, low tech is often your best option here. I simply wrap my lenses in a cloth and place them individually into resealable sandwich bags. The cloths will help to absorb any condensation that builds up from temperature changes and were a hard learned lesson for me. Lastly, minimize the amount of time you leave the cap off your lens, and always carry a good lens cloth for wiping the front between takes.

Shooting even small waterfalls can be very rewarding, and are a great way to just get out and enjoy nature. Learning to shoot them creatively, however, can be a little more challenging. That doesn’t mean that it has to be difficult or intimidating. Just remember these five simple tips and you’ll be ahead of the game when it comes to waterfall photography:

  1. Research and plan beforehand.
  2. Don’t desert your tripod.
  3. Think of the waterfall as part of a whole and not the only part of a scene.
  4. Learn to use color creatively or when to get rid of it altogether.
  5. Always protect your gear from the elements.

Now go out and do what you love to do!

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The post Shooting Better Waterfalls: Five Tips for Improving Your Waterfall Photography by Adam Welch appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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9 Top Tips for Shooting Waterfalls, Creeks and Streams

28 Apr

Waterfalls, creeks and streams are something of a photographic specialty for me. Aside from the fact that there are thousands of them at my Vancouver Island Headquarters, they’re also really easy to photograph and often result in magical images that stand the test of time. Whether it’s a moss speckled trickle or a colossal roaring deluge, moving water seems to be irresistible to photographers and when it’s done well, can be utterly gorgeous. Let me share with you my top tips on how to shoot waterfalls, creeks and streams.

Learn how to shoot waterfalls and creeks

1 – Shoot in all weather

I’ll shoot in any kind of weather except for sideways rain. With waterfalls, creaks and streams I have a silly little motto ‘The Wetter the Better’. When everything is drenched you’ll find that your shadows are nicely saturated to deliver powerful blacks. I also prefer the look of wet leaves over dry ones because they looks so much more vibrant and rich.

Rainy or overcast days will also give you softer light with lower contrast, meaning you won’t usually need to bracket in order to capture the dynamic range. If you’re lucky enough to get a cold spell and things get icy you’ll find your local waterfall turns into an enchanted winter wonderland overnight, just watch your footing.

bowen-park-nanaimo-gavin-hardcastle

2 – Don’t always choose a slow shutter speed

Sure, it’s nice to get those silky water shots and capture the motion blur of moving water, but there are times when it’s nice to also capture a frozen moment of action. I’ll usually take two exposures with different shutter speeds and then blend them in Photoshop to create a good mixture of frozen and blurred motion. A four second shutter speed will usually be enough for silky water shots and you can achieve that easily with just a polarizer and a narrow aperture like f/16, unless your scene is in harsh, direct sunlight.

For a quicker exposure that has less motion blur I’ll try and keep the shutter speed under one second by using a slightly wider aperture of f/11 and rotating the polarizer to allow in more light. It’s rare that I’ll require the use of an ND filter. My shot below is a single exposure of about a half second during a rainy day. I tried longer exposures but preferred this one because you can still see some individual water drops in motion instead of just a mushy blur.

How to shoot waterfalls

3 – Explore dark canyons

Don’t just explore those sun dappled streams that catch the light beautifully, that’s just too easy. Often it’s the darker, sun starved slot canyons that yield the most beautiful scenes. Armed with a study tripod you can shoot anything you want without caring about direct sunlight illuminating the scene. This opens up a new world of photo opportunities if you’re only used to shooting handheld.

4 – Bubbles turn into spirals

Whenever you see a river that produces a current of bubbles on the surface of the water, you’re in for a treat. With a shutter speed of four to six seconds (depending on water speed) those bubbles will create beautiful spirals in your long exposures. Be careful not to slow things down too much though as a ten second shutter speed will probably blur the motion too much to capture any definition. Here’s an example I shot last fall in Nanaimo, Vancouver island.

How to photograph waterfalls, creeks and streams

5 – Slap that polarizer on

I know I harp on about this all the time as you’ve no doubt read in my ‘Why You Must Use a Polarizer‘ article, but it really does make a huge difference when you’re dealing with wet rocks and reflections caused by water. Your polarizer will allow you to use longer shutter speeds, reduce reflections and make your colours POP!

6 – Avoid the sky

Do you really need a white triangle at the top of your image? Didn’t think so. Almost all of my workshop students suffer from some compulsion that dictates all images must have sky. I think I did the same thing when I was starting out. By omitting the sky completely, you’ll create a more intimate scene that dedicates the entire frame to what matters most and eliminates the triangle of pointlessness.

How to Photograph streams and rivers

7 – Go abstract

This is where you will have an advantage if you don’t have a full frame sensor camera. Rather than trying to fit the entire scene into your frame, it often pays to hone in on a smaller area of a waterfall or creek which removes the viewers sense of scale and direction.

Instead of a river flowing over some rocks and tree stumps, you’ll create an abstract scene of natural beauty that hypnotizes the viewer with an atmospheric study in motion and colour. Just like removing the sky, omitting the top and bottom of a waterfall from our frame leaves room for imagination.

gavin-hardcastle-abstract-waterfall-photography

8 – Perfect the “shoot ‘n swipe” technique

I’m not going to lie to you, shooting waterfalls, creeks and streams WILL result in a wet lens. When dealing with the spray from waterfalls, you’ll need to practice and perfect the “Shoot ‘n Swipe” method that requires a measure of patience. To do this well you’ll need a ball head with just ONE position clamp. If you’re rocking one of those ‘many handled’ tripods that look more like a tower crane control panel, forget it. Here’s how it works.

  1. Compose your shot and dial in all your camera settings to capture the shot. By now your lens will be well coated in spray from the airborne water particles of your waterfall.
  2. With everything perfectly in place and all setup, unwind the ball heads position clamp and point your camera to the floor, being careful only to allow vertical movement.
  3. Using a good quality lens cloth, wipe the lens thoroughly to remove the spray. If you have a filter in place be sure to rub in the opposite direction to the filter thread of you’ll be picking that filter up off the floor.
  4. Once dried, unwind the position clamp on the ball head, lift up the camera back into its previous position for your composition, tighten the clamp and take the shot. You’ll only get a few seconds before you’ll be all fogged up again.

Repeat this procedure until you get a shot that doesn’t have a fogged or water splattered lens. You have now perfected the “Shoot ‘n Swipe” technique (Patent Pending)

9 – Processing – go monochrome

Sometimes it’s nice to convert images of moving water to black and white because often they feature a lot of white. If you find that your waterfall, river or stream shot is lacking punch because of boring light and a lack of colour in the scene, try converting it to black and white then get freaky with the Curves slider in Adobe Camera Raw to pop the contrast. Nice.

Black & White Landscape Photography

So there you have it, all you need to get out there and capture some lovely images of waterfalls, creeks, rivers and streams. Get creative and don’t be afraid of wet weather, just be careful on those slippery rocks.

 

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Weekly Photography Challenge Waterfalls

19 Apr

Earlier today I shared a collection of waterfall photographs to get your weekend going, and earlier this week we launched our latest dPS eBook  – Loving Landscapes A guide to landscape photography workflow and post-production. So in keep with the theme of landscape and nature photography the weekly photography challenge will be waterfalls.

By paul bica

Even if you live in the city you can probably find some manmade waterfalls or fountains nearby. Think outside the box. Is there a park with a stream? Perhaps a babbling brook? Do some digging and find some running water and go photograph it. It need not be a full on waterfall, use a fountain if you have to. The principals are the same.

The main concern when photographing a waterfall is how to capture the moving water. You basically have two approaches to choose from: freeze it, or blur it. Freezing the water will give a motionless effect, with water droplets suspended in mid air. Blurring it can have a dreamy, foggy look and a totally different feeling. Neither is right or wrong, they just produce different results. So choose one and see what happens, or better yet, do a variety. You may be surprised with the results and which ones you prefer.

Here are a few examples to give you ideas:

By Kerry Sanders

By Joe Parks

By Centurion

By zev

By blmiers2

By Peter Roome

By thomas brown

By Alex Shamis

Share your waterfall images!

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section as pictured below) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer upload them to your favourite photo sharing site and leave the link to them.

Need help? How about some articles on nature and waterfall photography like these:

  • 4 Tips for Shooting Drop Dead Gorgeous Waterfalls
  • 3 Tips for Creating Dramatic Images using Motion
  • Picking A Waterfall Shutter Speed For The Best Look
  • Waterfall Digital Photography

Check ou the newest dPS ebook – Loving Landscapes A guide to landscape photography workflow and post-production – a brand new dPS ebook by the authors of Living Landscapes

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Falling for Waterfalls

21 Oct
A small cascade at Kaaterskill falls in upstate New York. It's important to balance the long shutter to blur the water, with the need for keeping the foliage sharp.  While blending two exposures will accomplish this, I preferred to try and capture the scene in one exposure.  Exposure was 1/3 second, f/22, ISO 100. EF 14mm f/2.8L II with EOS 5D Mark III.

A small cascade at Kaaterskill falls in upstate New York. It’s important to balance the long shutter to blur the water, with the need for keeping the foliage sharp. While blending two exposures will accomplish this, I preferred to try and capture the scene in one exposure. Exposure was 1/3 second, f/22, ISO 100. EF 14mm f/2.8L II with EOS 5D Mark III.

While the northeastern Unites States isn’t a wealth of dramatic vistas ripe for the landscape photographer’s choosing, one thing  we do have plenty of here are waterfalls.  The list is endless- from Niagara Falls in northwestern New York, to the plethora of waterfalls that can be found in the Catskills and Adirondacks, to Great Falls in Paterson, New Jersey. These provide ample opportunity to photograph them, as many run year-round.

I always carry a few things when photographing waterfalls. I like to get that milky look to the water, and for that of course you need a long exposure and for that you need a tripod to hold the camera steady. Next, I carry a polarizing filter.  This allows me to control reflections, whether they be from shiny rocks glistening with water on them, or to control reflections on the water in the landing pool. I also keep a chamois in my bag to keep the lens dry. Depending on how hard the falls are flowing, and how big the cascade, mist can be a problem.  Finally, I keep a set of neutral density filters handy.  As I mentioned, I like a nice, milky look to the water, and if there’s too much light, I won’t be able to slow the shutter down enough to get that look unless I use the filters. I generally keep 3, 4 and 5 stop ND filters with me.

Great Falls in Paterson, NJ. Photographing these falls in late winter, I was able to capture frost forming on the rocks from the spray.  Exposure was 2 seconds, ISO 100, at f/22. EF 24-105 f/4L IS, with EOS-1D Mark III.

Great Falls in Paterson, NJ. Photographing these falls in late winter, I was able to capture frost forming on the rocks from the spray. Exposure was 2 seconds, ISO 100, at f/22. EF 24-105 f/4L IS, with EOS-1D Mark III.

When photographing waterfalls, the first thing to consider, as with all subjects, is the light. I find photographing waterfalls in flat, even light, such as on an overcast day, to be ideal.  Ultimately, you don’t want the waterfall in direct sunlight.  Direct sunlight on a waterfall has a tendency to create such a high contrast scene that either your highlights are blown out, or your shadows are blocked up. Flat, even lighting allows you capture the full range of detail in the scene without losing detail in the highlights or shadows.

Next, you need to consider the look of the water you want. While I prefer that milky, fantasy-like look, you may prefer more detail.  Try a variety of shutter speeds to see what works best for you. I find 1 second to 30 seconds works well, but much will also depend on how much water is flowing over the falls. More water rushing faster will not require as slow a shutter speed as less water flowing at a slower pace will.

I hiked up these falls in mid-winter- a treacherous, icy hike that almost resulted in injury! This was the base of the tallest cascade, frozen almost solid. It pays to visit these locations year round to get different perspectives. Exposure was 1/20, f/16, ISO 100. EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye with EOS-1Ds Mark III.

I hiked up these falls in mid-winter- a treacherous, icy hike that almost resulted in injury! This was the base of the tallest cascade, frozen almost solid. It pays to visit these locations year round to get different perspectives. Exposure was 1/20, f/16, ISO 100. EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye with EOS-1Ds Mark III.

Waterfalls change with the seasons.  In the spring, when snow is melting, waterfalls will be fuller and faster flowing. Some waterfalls only flow at this time. Others run year round, but the amount of flow changes.  And in the winter, depending on the climate, some falls can freeze into columns of ice that create an entirely different spectacle.  It pays to revisit these falls at different times of year, to take advantage of all of the opportunities a particular waterfall presents.

One last thought: While many of the waterfalls I’ve photographed are easily accessible, many others require some arduous hiking. Try to get as much information as possible on a new location before going there, and be prepared for anything.

This was another small cascade that I found on the way up to the upper falls.  These smaller cascades present great opportunities to really create dynamic compositions, layering the foreground, middle ground, and background, and using the leading lines of the water. Exposure was 1 second at f/16, ISO 100.  EF 16-35mm at 16mm with EOS 5D Mark III.

This was another small cascade that I found on the way up to the upper falls. These smaller cascades present great opportunities to really create dynamic compositions, layering the foreground, middle ground, and background, and using the leading lines of the water. Exposure was 1 second at f/16, ISO 100. EF 16-35mm at 16mm with EOS 5D Mark III.

 

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

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Falling for Waterfalls

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