Capture stunning waterfall pictures with our step-by-step guide to exposure, motion blur and more…
If you’re into landscape photography – and let’s face it, most of us are – late autumn can sometimes be a pretty torrid time of year, partly because of the wet weather, but mostly because the light is just so unpredictable, and what light there is tends to be a bit cold and flat.
Happily, though, there is one landscape subject that’s perfectly suited to being captured in flat, even light, and that’s waterfalls.
Read on to find out why, and to discover the settings you need to capture stunning waterfall pictures and artful images of tumbling cascades…
How to shoot waterfall pictures
Step 01: Keep an eye on the weather
Weather is critical, but not for the reasons you might think. Direct sunlight is more of a hindrance than a help, because it casts dark shadows and creates blown highlights in the white water.
Weather is critical, but not for the reasons you might think. Direct sunlight is more of a hindrance than a help, because it casts dark shadows and creates blown highlights in the white water.
As well as being distracting, the contrast between these shadows and highlights makes it impossible to get a balanced exposure.
Rain is also a factor: too much water flowing over your fall will result in images with wide expanses of featureless white water.
What you’re looking for is gaps between the trails of falling water, as this helps to add texture and contrast.
SEE MORE: 6 ways to keep shooting when it rains
Step 02: Get set up
For successful waterfall shots, you’ll need to mount your camera on a sturdy tripod, and to use a remote release to fire the shutter – or your camera’s self-timer function if you don’t have one.
For successful waterfall shots, you’ll need to mount your camera on a sturdy tripod, and to use a remote release to fire the shutter – or your camera’s self-timer function if you don’t have one.
It’s also a good idea to set mirror lock-up right at the beginning of the shoot, to reduce the risk of unwanted vibrations from so-called mirror slap during the long exposures required for waterfall pictures.
Finally, if you’re shooting in daylight, even on cloudy day, you will probably need a filter to enable you to set slower shutter speeds (see Step 05).
Step 03: Set the exposure
Once you’ve composed your shot, it’s time to set the exposure. The best way to do this is to set your camera to Manual mode, and then dial in your lens’s smallest aperture (this will probably be f/22 or f/29).
Once you’ve composed your shot, it’s time to set the exposure. The best way to do this is to set your camera to Manual mode, and then dial in your lens’s smallest aperture (this will probably be f/22 or f/29).
Next, adjust the shutter speed so the exposure level indicator lines up with the ‘0’ on the exposure scale. On an overcast day, this will probably be in the region of 1/4 sec.
As you can see from our example image, this is slow enough to blur the water, but not slow enough to make it appear wispy.
Step 04: Evaluate the exposure
To evaluate your initial exposure, check your camera’s histogram view. As you know that the very brightest areas of falling water are actually supposed to be white, with very little texture or detail,you can expose your shot so that your histogram is as far to the right as possible, without the highlights being clipped (i.e. bunched up at the right hand end).
To evaluate your initial exposure, check your camera’s histogram view. As you know that the very brightest areas of falling water are actually supposed to be white, with very little texture or detail,you can expose your shot so that your histogram is as far to the right as possible, without the highlights being clipped (i.e. bunched up at the right hand end).
If your histogram is too far to the left (i.e. under-exposed), simply decrease the shutter speed to let in more light; if it’s too far to the right (i.e. over-exposed), increase it to let in less light.
Step 05: Slow everything down
If you’ve set your camera’s lowest ISO and your lens’s smallest aperture, the only way to reduce the shutter speed still further is to attach a filter.
If you’ve set your camera’s lowest ISO and your lens’s smallest aperture, the only way to reduce the shutter speed still further is to attach a filter.
A Circular Polariser will reduce the amount of light reaching the sensor by two ‘stops’, so for a correct exposure you’d need to increase the exposure time by two stops (so 1/4 > 1/2 > 1 sec).
To slow things down even more, you’ll need a Neutral Density filter – these come is different strengths, and for every stop of light that’s blocked, you need to double the exposure time.
Waterfall pictures: how to set up your DSLR to shoot moving water
Waterfall pictures are some of the most satisfying subjects you can shoot with your digital camera. However, the fast moving water throws up some challenges for photographers.
Often, exposures end up disappointing – you may have set the wrong shutter speed, for instance, and won’t get the traditional blurred-water effect in your waterfall pictures. Other times the exposure ends up being too dark or light, due to having to cope with the combination of dark rocks and bright, foamy moving water.
One of the great benefits of taking waterfall pictures is that you don’t need a sunny day to photograph them. In fact, an overcast day is a bonus, as it allows you to use longer shutter speeds and reduces the contrast that’s likely to make getting a decently balanced exposure near impossible.
Making sure your waterfall pictures aren’t blown out, however, is probably the most important thing to look out for. If moving water is blown out and lacks texture, the shot is effectively ruined. Fortunately, your digital camera’s histogram should save any heartache.
Waterfall pictures: get set to capture moving water
Better Waterfall Pictures Step 01: Grey days are good days
Sunny weather is a disaster when you’re shooting waterfalls. The bright light means fast shutter speeds, when you really need slow ones for this effect. Even more importantly, a bright day means a high-contrast scene, with white areas that are in direct sunlight, and shadows that are in complete darkness.
Sunny weather is a disaster when you’re shooting waterfalls. The bright light means fast shutter speeds, when you really need slow ones for this effect. Even more importantly, a bright day means a high-contrast scene, with white areas that are in direct sunlight, and shadows that are in complete darkness.
Better Waterfall Pictures Step 02: Shoot after heavy rainfall
Overcast, grey conditions are best, but you also need to look at the weather for other reasons. In dry spells, waterfalls can turn into trickles. You need them to be in spate, a day or so after heavy rain, so that there’s plenty of water to shoot. Check locations and weather reports on the internet before you leave home.
Overcast, grey conditions are best, but you also need to look at the weather for other reasons. In dry spells, waterfalls can turn into trickles. You need them to be in spate, a day or so after heavy rain, so that there’s plenty of water to shoot. Check locations and weather reports on the internet before you leave home.
Better Waterfall Pictures Step 03: Go slow with the ISO
We need to set a slow, or very slow, shutter speed in order to turn the flowing water into a frothy, milky foam in our shots. The first setting to sort out on your DSLR is the ISO. Turn this to its lowest sensitivity, which will be 100, 200 or L1.0 depending on the digital camera model you’re using.
We need to set a slow, or very slow, shutter speed in order to turn the flowing water into a frothy, milky foam in our shots. The first setting to sort out on your DSLR is the ISO. Turn this to its lowest sensitivity, which will be 100, 200 or L1.0 depending on the digital camera model you’re using.
Better Waterfall Pictures Step 04: Shoot raw files, not JPEGs
Even in dull weather, bright highlights can be a problem with waterfall exposure. To give yourself the most leeway when editing, you need to set the picture quality to raw. Then, so you can set the longest shutter speed available, switch the exposure mode to A (Aperture Priority).
Even in dull weather, bright highlights can be a problem with waterfall exposure. To give yourself the most leeway when editing, you need to set the picture quality to raw. Then, so you can set the longest shutter speed available, switch the exposure mode to A (Aperture Priority).
Better Waterfall Pictures Step 05: Three legs all akimbo
A tripod is essential with slow shutter speeds. A model that enables you to splay out the legs independently is best for working on uneven, rocky terrain.
A tripod is essential with slow shutter speeds. A model that enables you to splay out the legs independently is best for working on uneven, rocky terrain.
When shooting with a tripod, a cable release or remote control is also useful so you don’t jog the setup at every exposure.
Better Waterfall Pictures Step 06: How slow should you go?
Select the narrowest aperture that the lens allows – f/22 is a great starting point. With this set up, half-press the shutter button and look at the shutter speed the camera displays. A value of 1/4 second is good for fast, flowing water, whereas 20 seconds is good for babbling brooks.
Select the narrowest aperture that the lens allows – f/22 is a great starting point. With this set up, half-press the shutter button and look at the shutter speed the camera displays. A value of 1/4 second is good for fast, flowing water, whereas 20 seconds is good for babbling brooks.
Better Waterfall Pictures Step 07: Take it slower with an ND
If the conditions won’t give you a long enough shutter speed, put an ND filter in front of the lens to block out light.
If the conditions won’t give you a long enough shutter speed, put an ND filter in front of the lens to block out light.
An ND8 or three-stop neutral density filter cuts 87.5% of the light. An ND64 or six-stop cuts 98%. Alternatively, use a polariser to cut out up to 75%.
Better Waterfall Pictures Step 08: Avoid a whitewash
Shoot a test shot, and review the picture carefully – it’s easy to get an exposure that’s too dark or too light. Check the histogram. If the shot is too bright, with burnt-out water, set the exposure compensation to about -1EV and retest. If it’s too dark, without bright highlights, re-shoot with exposure compensation set to +1EV.
Shoot a test shot, and review the picture carefully – it’s easy to get an exposure that’s too dark or too light. Check the histogram. If the shot is too bright, with burnt-out water, set the exposure compensation to about -1EV and retest. If it’s too dark, without bright highlights, re-shoot with exposure compensation set to +1EV.
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