rio008
06-04-2009, 10:36 AM
Want to get that silky waterfall or that stream effect you see in those pro photos? The secret
is leaving your shutter open (for at least a second or two), so the water moves while
everything else (the rocks and trees around the waterfall or stream) remains still. Here's
what you do: switch your digital camera to shutter priority mode (the S or Tv on your
camera's mode dial), and set the shutter speed to 1 or 2 full seconds. Now, even if you're
shooting this waterfall on a bit of an overcast day, leaving your shutter open for a few
seconds will let way too much light in, and all you'll get is a solid white, completely blown-out
photo. That's why the pros do one of two things:
(1) they shoot these waterfalls at or before sunrise, or just after sunset, when there is much less light. Or they
(2) use a stop-down filter. This is a special darkening filter that screws onto your lens that is so dark it shuts out most of
the light coming into your camera. That way, you can leave the shutter open for a few
seconds. Such little light comes in that it doesn't totally blow out your photo, and you wind
up with a properly exposed photo with lots of glorious silky water. Now, if you don't have a
stop-down filter and you run across a waterfall or stream that's deep in the woods (and deep
in the shade), you can still get the effect by trying this: put your camera on a tripod, go to
aperture priority mode, and set your aperture to the biggest number your lens will allow
(probably either f/22 or f/36). This leaves your shutter open longer than usual (but that's
okay, you're in deep shade, right?), and you'll get that same silky-looking water.
Mod edit: Copied from http://codeidol.com/graphics/digital-photography/Shooting-Landscapes-Like-a-Pro/The-Trick-to-Shooting-Waterfalls/
is leaving your shutter open (for at least a second or two), so the water moves while
everything else (the rocks and trees around the waterfall or stream) remains still. Here's
what you do: switch your digital camera to shutter priority mode (the S or Tv on your
camera's mode dial), and set the shutter speed to 1 or 2 full seconds. Now, even if you're
shooting this waterfall on a bit of an overcast day, leaving your shutter open for a few
seconds will let way too much light in, and all you'll get is a solid white, completely blown-out
photo. That's why the pros do one of two things:
(1) they shoot these waterfalls at or before sunrise, or just after sunset, when there is much less light. Or they
(2) use a stop-down filter. This is a special darkening filter that screws onto your lens that is so dark it shuts out most of
the light coming into your camera. That way, you can leave the shutter open for a few
seconds. Such little light comes in that it doesn't totally blow out your photo, and you wind
up with a properly exposed photo with lots of glorious silky water. Now, if you don't have a
stop-down filter and you run across a waterfall or stream that's deep in the woods (and deep
in the shade), you can still get the effect by trying this: put your camera on a tripod, go to
aperture priority mode, and set your aperture to the biggest number your lens will allow
(probably either f/22 or f/36). This leaves your shutter open longer than usual (but that's
okay, you're in deep shade, right?), and you'll get that same silky-looking water.
Mod edit: Copied from http://codeidol.com/graphics/digital-photography/Shooting-Landscapes-Like-a-Pro/The-Trick-to-Shooting-Waterfalls/