![]() These times of day make it easier to get a more even exposure, and the reduced light means you can use a slow shutter speed more readily. Overcast days produce excellent lighting conditions for the same reasons. To avoid these problems, shoot around sunrise or sunset (the so-called " golden hour"), when the sun's light is less intense and more diffuse. It also causes hundreds of reflections in the water and wet scenery, which will show up as tiny white dots in your shot.Īvoid bright sunlight to keep your exposure even. The intense light casts strong shadows across the scene, making it difficult to get your expsosure right. This does the same job as an ND filter but has the added benefits of reducing reflections (for example from water, wet rocks, and leaves) and increasing colour saturation for a more vivid image.īright sunlight can easily ruin a waterfall photograph. Professional nature photographers swear by neutral density (ND) filters, which reduce the light without affecting the colours in the scene.Īn excellent alternative is a polarising filter. If you still can't get your camera to go slow enough you'll need to use some filters to reduce the amount of light that's being let in. It will also give you the maximum depth of field, keeping as much of your scene in focus as possible. Using your lens's narrowest aperture will again let you use a longer exposure time. It also has the added benefit of reducing the amount of digital noise in your photos. This reduces your camera's sensitivity, allowing you to use slower shutter speeds without overexposing the scene. Set your ISO as low as it will go (typically around ISO 100 or so). A sturdy tripod is an essential accessory here. With such a low shutter speed you won't be able to hand-hold your camera. Don't worry if the scene is overexposed we'll adjust other settings to compensate for that. Review it on your camera's LCD screen and adjust until you get the correct level of blurring. So flick your camera into Shutter Priority or Manual mode and set it up as follows.Įvery waterfall is different, and there's no single "correct" shutter speed to use, but if you want to capture movement in the water you'll need to use a slow shutter speed - generally somewhere from 0.3 seconds up to several seconds.Ī good rule of thumb is to start with a speed of 1 second and take a test shot. The key to capturing this movement is choosing the best camera settings before you start shooting. Motion is a key aspect of waterfalls, so be sure to include it in your photos. From the meandering flow of water across rocks to the splash and spray of a crashing torrent, they're always full of energy and excitement. One of the most interesting things about waterfalls is the way they move. The following waterfall photography tips will help you snap stunning images, and master the technical and creative sides of photographing this fascinating subject. Their elegance, movement, and ever-changing character make them beautiful to capture, but they do present a number of practical and technical challenges which can make them difficult to shoot. Waterfalls are among my favourite nature photography subjects.
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