Basic Tips for Photographing Waterfalls
Photographing Waterfalls for Painterly Feel
Since I am a believer in the "K.I.S.S. Principle"...here are some simple tips for photographing waterfalls.
Your basic photographic gear needs...
A good solid tripod.
Camera with shutter priority capabilities.
Neutral density or polarizing filters.
Cable release.
In my opinion the the best time of day to photograph waterfalls is in the early morning and evening. Usually called the magic hour because of the soft light. An overcast day also works well. Basically, you want to avoid harsh sunlight.
Once you have found your beautiful waterfalls to photograph. Find the perfect composition while hand holding your camera. Then attach your camera to your tripod and firmly place on solid ground. Adjust your composition, focus and set your camera to shutter priority.
Connect your cable release to your camera. It is very important you do not have any camera movement during your exposure, so use the cable release. If you do not have a cable release just set the automatic timer on your camera.
Add your neutral density or polarizing filter in front of your lens. This will limit the amount of light entering your camera and permits you to use a slower shutter speed. The slow shutter speed gives the waterfalls that painterly appearance. Start at 1/6th shutter speed and make adjustments for the image your are trying to create. The longer the shutter speed, the more blurred motion will appear on your photo. Shoot several shots and adjust for exposure and motion to your artistic preference.
Hope these simple tips help you enjoy your photography experience.
All the best.
DLK
David Liam Kyle
Thank you for visiting my blog page and I hope you enjoy my "Story Behind the Shot" series.
David Liam Kyle