Waterfall pictures: how to find, set up and shoot moving water

jmeyer | Photography Tutorials | Tutorials | 08/10/2014 00:01am

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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…

SEE MORE: Water photography – how to take stunning pictures of water in any environment

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.

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.

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).

SEE MORE: Dull day photography: what (and how) to shoot when the sun isn’t shining

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).

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.

SEE MORE: 10 common exposure problems all photographers face (and how to avoid them)

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).

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.

SEE MORE: Fall color: how to photograph autumn leaves and seasonal textures

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.

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.

Master your camera’s autofocus: which AF points to use and when to use them

Using autofocus correctly can solve a great number of the common photography problems you face on a daily basis. But easier said than done, right? Behold the bible on AF points!

In this tutorial we’ll show you everything you need to know to take control of your AF points and nail focus every time you shoot.

Focusing has never been so simple. Use any of the Basic Zone shooting modes – Full Auto, Portrait or Landscape – and your camera does all the work for you. It’s almost too easy.

A light press on the shutter button is all you need and, 99 times out of a 100, the camera will focus in a split-second and you’re ready to fire.

So why is it that many shots simply aren’t sharp in the places that matter, such as the eyes in a portrait or the rolling hills of a landscape? The answer lies in the way that the autofocus system actually works.

Left to its own devices, a typical mid-range DSLR uses all of its nine autofocus sensors, which are spread out in a wide array around the image frame.

There’s one AF point at the centre, one both above and below it, another two to the left and right, and a final pair positioned towards the extreme left and right sides of the frame.

More advanced cameras feature an additional six ‘AF Assist’ points, although these, unlike the first nine, can’t be selected manually.

Near and far
To achieve autofocus in your camera’s shooting modes your camera uses information from all nine 
AF points.

It works out the distance of each part of the scene from the camera, chooses the closest object that coincides with an AF point and locks the autofocus at that setting.

This is fine if you want to focus on the nearest object in a scene, but often that’s not the case. 
If you’re shooting a sweeping landscape, for example, you don’t want to focus on the grass in the foreground.

In these cases it’s better to select a Manual AF point. And in close-up or telephoto photography, especially with a large, wide  aperture that reduces the depth of field, pinpoint accuracy becomes even more critical.

Making the most of your range of AF points

Auto select
By default, your DSLR uses every AF point in each shooting mode but often you can choose AF points manually. Press the AF Point Selection button at the top-right of the rear of the camera (this will differ by brand and model) and the display will confirm that multi-point Auto Select AF is in use.

Manual select
To switch from AF Auto Select to Manual Select mode, press the AF Point Selection button as in the previous step, but then press the Set button. The camera will now switch from multi-point selection to using only the central AF point for autofocus. Press the Set button again to revert to multi-point Auto Select.

Change the AF point
You’re not limited to using the central AF point in Manual Select mode. After switching to single-point AF, you can use the arrow keys to switch to any of the other eight AF points. To return to the central AF point, press the Set button again.

AF modes
Manual AF point selection works in any of the various AF modes, so you can couple use of selective AF points with One Shot AF for stationary subjects, AI Focus AF for erratic subjects, or AI Servo AF for tracking moving subjects. Select the most appropriate AF mode by pressing the AF arrow key.

When to use your different AF points

Auto Select
When you generally want to focus on the closest object in a scene and you need to react quickly to what’s going on around you, Auto Select is a good option. It saves potentially missing a shot because you’re too busy adjusting AF point selection, and is also good for tracking action.

Central AF point
The central AF point is the most sensitive and accurate of all, so it’s great for use in very dull or extremely bright lighting conditions, when other AF points can struggle to achieve autofocus. It’s also perfect for when the main object of interest is at the centre of the frame.

Upper AF point
When you’re taking a landscape shot and your emphasis is on distant scenery rather than the foreground, select the upper AF point. This stops the camera focusing on spurious foreground objects or areas that happen to coincide with a lower AF point.

Diagonal AF point
Portraits usually work best when the subject is slightly off-centre in the frame. Shooting in landscape or portrait orientation, choose the appropriate diagonal AF point and focus on one of the subject’s eyes. If the face is at an angle to you, focus on the eye that’s closest.

Edge AF point
The AF points positioned at the far left- and right-hand sides of the image frame are very handy when you want to throw foreground areas into soft focus, concentrating on a more distant subject that’s positioned on one side of the frame.

How to choose the best AF point

While for most of us, nine selectable AF points are more than enough, top-end professional cameras, like the Canon EOS-1D X, can have an incredible 61 to choose from. You can even choose multiple AF points in small groups.

Whichever camera you’ve got, knowing which AF point to select can, understandably, be a challenge.

Often it seems easiest is to stick with the central AF point, position it over the object you want to focus on, then lightly press the shutter button to achieve AF.

You can lock the AF setting by holding the shutter button, recompose the shot, then fully press the shutter to take the shot. This often works, but it’s easy to come unstuck.

The main problem with only using the central AF point is that a light reading is also taken, and the exposure value locked, at the same time. If, for example, you focus on an object that’s in shadow, then recompose to include brighter areas, your image will be over-exposed.

Get the point
One answer is to press the AE Lock button after recomposing the image, thereby taking a new light reading, while still holding the shutter button to keep autofocus locked.

But it’s usually easier to pick the AF point that’s closest to the point you want to focus on, 
so any subsequent camera movement will be minimal.

Selecting the most appropriate AF point not only ensures more accurate light metering, but focusing as well, because there’s less camera movement after AF has been locked. Plus, AF point placement is based on the rule of thirds, aiding photo composition.

How to fool your autofocus – and why you should do it

Unlike One Shot AF mode, which locks the focus setting as soon as autofocus is achieved, AI Servo AF mode automatically tracks moving targets, from kids and pets at play to racing cars or roaming wildlife, adjusting the focus as necessary up to and including the moment when the shot is taken.

It’s tempting to manually select a single AF point that corresponds to the position of the moving target within the frame, but this often demands an incredibly steady pair of hands and an almost superhuman panning technique.

Switch to the Auto Select AF Point (multi-point) setting when using Canon’s AI Servo AF or AF-C on Nikon and Pentax cameras, and the camera will initially focus and track moving subjects using only the central AF point.

If 
the target strays from the centre of the frame, alternative AF points will be automatically used as necessary, so the camera can continue to track its movement.

Waterfall pictures: how to find, set up and shoot moving water

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…

SEE MORE: Water photography – how to take stunning pictures of water in any environment

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.

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.

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).

SEE MORE: Dull day photography: what (and how) to shoot when the sun isn’t shining

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).

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.

SEE MORE: 10 common exposure problems all photographers face (and how to avoid them)

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).

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.

SEE MORE: Fall color: how to photograph autumn leaves and seasonal textures

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.

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.

SEE MORE: Autumn photography: 24 tips for beautiful pictures of autumn

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.

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.

SEE MORE: How to photograph anything: best camera settings for landscape photography

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.

SEE MORE: Creative Landscape Photography: master the dark art of shadows and shade

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).

SEE MORE: Golden Hour Photography: tips for making magical landscapes at dawn

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.

When shooting with a tripod, a cable release or remote control is also useful so you don’t jog the setup at every exposure.

SEE MORE: The 10 Commandments of Landscape Photography (and how to break them)

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.

SEE MORE: Best circular polarizer filter: 5 top models tested and rated

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.

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.