PHOTO TIP: Waterfalls Part 2 – Placid Turbulence

In photographs, how do we show what we see and how flowing water makes us feel at that moment? How do we show the power verses the tranquility of what is sometimes referred to as “whitewater.” Learning to control your camera’s shutter speed will help you create different effects that will allow your viewers to see what you felt.

There are general rules for choosing the proper shutter speed, which we will discuss in this post. In simple terms, a fast shutter speed will stop the action (top image), offering a feeling of power. A slow shutter speed will create a soft veil of water (second image), offering a more peaceful scene. A tripod, discussed in Part 1, will be required for using slow shutter speeds.

However, more factors are involved than just setting a fast or slow shutter speed. Available light, aperture setting and ISO all play a roll in getting the proper exposure. Although you can’t adjust the available light directly (other than returning to the scene on another day or a different time of day), once you choose the shutter speed for the scene, you can adjust aperture and ISO (light sensitivity) to achieve the desired speed and proper exposure.

Light quality as well as available light are big factors in when and where to shoot. Waterfall images shot in direct, bright sun can be very tricky to expose. The contrast of bright, sunlit whitewater and dark rocks and shadows makes for a difficult lighting situation (see above). However, brighter light also allows faster shutter speeds, so there are always trade-offs. Early morning, late evening and overcast days are best for photographing waterfalls. These lower light situations also make it easier to use slower shutter speeds.

In general, 1/1000 second is preferred for stopping the action of water as it sprays. Slower speeds will not completely stop the drops and may cause distracting streaks. A shutter speed of 1/1 or 1 full second or slower are best for creating the veil effect. Using the lowest ISO in your camera will let you get the slowest shutter speeds for the available light, as will using smaller apertures (remember that higher f-numbers = smaller apertures). Since you will be using a smaller aperture, you will also get more depth-of-field (or more in focus in your photo–another lesson for another time). As would make sense, using a higher ISO and a larger aperture (smaller f-number) will alow you to get higher shutter speeds.

Looking at the above images, you can see that a very small aperture was used to achieve the slow shutter speed. on-SLR cameras typically have a minimum aperture of only f/8. To let in less light with these cameras it is recommended to purchase a neutral density (ND) filter. This is a dark filter that will let less light through the lens to help achieve the slower speeds needed.

There is a lot of information to filter in this post… and it can seem confusing just reading it, so it is best to get out into the field and play! And don’t forget about our May 15-17  Waterfall Workshop!