Tips and Tricks: How to Photograph Waterfalls
Welcome back to Tips and Tricks here at Photo Trek II. In this monthly feature I will discuss a certain aspect or skill of photography, and share some of what I have learned during my time as a photographer. All photographers have a certain specialty which they really like to work with. While my first love was landscapes, I quickly narrowed my passion to waterfalls. It was something that I had read about, and thought that I could do. The trick was finding the waterfalls to capture with my camera. That turned out to be easier than I thought because there are just so many waterfalls in North Carolina. Over the years I have honed my skills and learned a few more tricks. My original waterfall tutorial was in November, 2007, so it is really time to update the information.
We are also going to be trying something new with this Tips and Tricks this month, a take home assignment. This is going to be an opportunity to practice what I have been talking about sometime in the next month. I will get into more detail at the conclusion of this tutorial, but if photographing moving water is something that you are interested in doing, pay attention and take notes...or just print this tutorial out.
Careless Whisper
Have you ever wondered how photographers capture waterfalls with that silky effect? Could it be Photoshop, trick photography, or some special camera? Its actually none of the above, and can be accomplished with all SLR/DSLR cameras and many of the point and shoots. The biggest equipment consideration is: "How slow will your shutter go?" When it comes to waterfall photography, it is all about the shutter speed. Part of that equation might be the use of filters, but in all cases you will need a way to keep the camera stabilized. Lets take a look at what is needed to photograph a waterfall.
Equipment
Lets start with filters and the ones that you might want to consider using. The most useful of these will be the polarizing filter. This filter does many different jobs, and each one of them applies to waterfalls. First, it removes the surface glare from the water which will help to saturate the colors, as well as allowing you to capture detail below the water's surface. Second of all, it will act as a neutral density filter and slow the shutter down about two full stops. If you happen to be photographing water slides (no cascades) you can dial in a bit less of the effect to show the water on the slick rocky surface. For the most part, if you have this filter you will be able to handle most situations when it comes to waterfalls. If you don't have this filter, and you are using a compact point and shoot, you can get away with using sunglasses that are polarized. Just make sure that they are very clean and held close to the lens to avoid reflections. Obviously this is not the best solution, but can allow you to get a shot that you otherwise might have missed.
The second most useful filter is the neutral density filter. This is the filter that allows you to fine tune your exposure time by reducing the amount of light that enters the lens. It doesn't add any color (if you are using a quality filter), or make any effects. It just simply slows the shutter speed down by a set number of stops. Popular strengths are 1-Stop (ND2), 2-Stop (ND4), and 3-Stop (ND8), and they will slow the shutter speeds in the stops indicated. There are also some vari-ND filters that are becoming available. They work much like a polarizer with a twisting element that adjusts the strength of the filter. This is good if you will be working under different lighting conditions and don't want to fool with switching filters.
The next filter that is handy to have is an 81A warming filter. Because you will be working in shadows a lot, you might need to remove some of the blue color cast from your scene. The warming filter will do that very well, and the relatively weak "A" filter will do the job without altering the white of the water.
White balance is a concern in waterfall photography because of the extremely cool color temperatures that you will be working in. That is why I added a picture of a white balance filter. If you use this prior to taking any pictures, you are assured that the color balance will be accurate. This is not completely necessary though, and is not something that I use that often with waterfalls. Usually, setting your WB to "cloudy" or "shade" is sufficient to capture the correct colors.
We have talked a good deal about slowing the shutter speed to capture a waterfall. This means hand holding will no longer be possible. You will need some sort of support for the camera. The ideal solution will be a good quality tripod. This will allow you the ability to compose the images just the way you would like them. You will be working in wet and muddy conditions doing this type of photography so make sure that you are using a tripod designed for that kind of environment. If you don't have a tripod, there are a few other options that you could try. A bean bag is very simple to carry around, and will allow you to stabilize the camera providing that you have somewhere to lay the bean bag. The squishy nature of this product will allow you to fine tune the axis of the camera. Conversely, if you don't use the bean bag, you can set the camera on a rock or brace it against a fence, but you are at the mercy of what you are putting the camera on as to how level the picture will turn out. For those using a compact camera, there are lots of small and inexpensive tripods out there, but for those with SLR/DSLR cameras, they usually don't support the weight all that well.
One final piece of equipment that I would consider very useful, if not mandatory, is a remote release for the shutter. We have spent a lot of time and energy slowing the shutter down, and stabilizing the camera. If we just press the shutter button on the camera we will introduce a lot of camera shake that makes all of our efforts wasted. By using the remote release, the camera won't be moved or touched at the time of the exposure. Using a mirror lockup on SLR/DSLR cameras will also aid in getting tack sharp images. For those that don't have a remote release, or don't have a camera that can use one, there is always the self timer. Set it for the shortest amount of time, and press the button. After the few seconds elapse, the camera will take the picture. While clumsy, this is an effective way of achieving the same effect as the remote release.
Types of Waterfalls
When you think about waterfalls, you probably have a set "look" in your mind. There are actually four major types of waterfalls, and each has their own independent appearance. This is important to recognize because it can have an effect on how you shoot the subject. The most common, and most fun to photograph is the Cascading Waterfall. This type is characterized by a water path that quickly changes directions when it comes in contact with rocks, or ledges. For these types of falls, I would suggest a lengthy shutter speed of at least 10 seconds.
Scattered Showers
The second type is called a Block, Sheet, or Curtain Falls. These are the ones that I would simply call a waterfall because the water spills over a ledge and has no more contact with the terrain until it hits the base. These are usually slow moving falls with little volume. A very slow shutter speed is usually the best practice for these. I would aim at 15-30 seconds for optimal blur.
Liquid Lace
Plunges are waterfalls which are characterized by a large volume of water pouring over the rocks. This would be something like Niagara Falls. These are very powerful waterfalls, and can be quite dramatic to photograph. The thing to remember here is that they will benefit from a faster shutter speed than the other ones. The reason is if you blur the water too much it will just appear as a white blob. A faster shutter speed (around 1/2 - 1 second) should be plenty.
Table Rock
On the other end of that spectrum is the water slide. This is the least photogenic of the waterfalls because it is just water which is sliding down a slick rocky surface. There are no cascades involved, and the only disruption in the water flow is from surface irregularities and debris. Shutter speed will depend on what type of disruptions are present in the water flow. If there are none, there will be little need in using a slow shutter speed. Usually a second or two will be just fine for these types of falls.
Weather and Environmental Considerations
Alright, we have the gear, we know our waterfalls...when do we have the best chance to capture a great image of one? There are two primary conditions which are conducive to great waterfall photography. The one that is the most consistent is a deeply overcast day. This will allow you the most time in which to photograph your waterfalls. I would suggest starting after 10am when the sun is up and is being diffused by the cloud cover. This will eliminate surface hot spots (those areas where the sun is reflecting harshly) which will lead to overexposed elements in your image. An added benefit is that the clouds will reduce the light that is on the scene allowing for a slower shutter speed. If it is lightly raining, don't give up hope...this is actually a good thing as it will help saturate the colors and will make the rocks more uniform in appearance. If a cloudy day isn't in the forecast I would suggest right at sunrise, or sunset. The light will not be direct at this time of day, and the position of the sun will actually help diffuse the light (passing through more of the atmosphere). You won't have long to work before the rapidly changing light causes exposure problems which is the major weakness of this time of day.
The time of day is very important, but so is the time of year. Waterfalls look best when the water is flowing. That seems like a no brainer, as well it should be. The reason I bring it up is you have to follow the weather patterns when you are working with waterfalls. Recent rains will swell just about any waterfall. This could be a good thing, or it could ruin the sparse look you are after. Be aware of how you want to photograph the particular waterfall, and wait for the right conditions. This usually means waiting for the fall or the spring. In many cases winter can also yield enough rainfall to keep the falls active. For the most part, summer is the least productive time for waterfall photography. This is for two reasons. First, there is much less rain in the summer, and second there will be more chance of people swimming in the pool at the bottom of the waterfall which will effectively ruin the shot. There are a few waterfalls that pretty much dry up when there is no rain. Tory's Falls is one of those. This image was created in early spring after a couple of days worth of rain. Just a few months before I had visited this waterfall it was barely a trickle.
New Life
Something else to keep in mind is the actual physical locations where you will be working. Waterfalls are very dangerous, and are the causes of many deaths every year. I don't know the percentages, but I would imagine that photographers are a significant portion of that total. I would not recommend getting into the water unless you are prepared for what you will be standing on. The rushing water will wear down the rocky surfaces causing them to become very slick. The same goes with the mossy rocks in the more stagnant water that can be found at the base of most waterfalls. Add to this the currents of the water and you have a recipe for disaster. The rocks might also be pretty slick along the sides of the actual body of water. With rain, or even just the wet soles of your shoes, slipping is very easy to do. Always pay attention to your footing and remember that no picture is worth losing your life for.
Time to Take the Picture
I know, I have been talking about a lot of things and haven't hardly mentioned actually snapping the photograph. Well, we are ready to talk about camera settings and how to actually make the exposure. The first thing we need to do is to pick our waterfall. There are lots of sites on the internet that will assist you in finding waterfalls in your area (if there are any). Just crank up Google and type in "(the state you are in) waterfalls". That will give you a good starting point. Then watch the weather and pick a day when the conditions will be right.
Once you are there, take some time and look at the waterfall. Look for lines in the flow of the water. See how you would like the elements positioned. Then set your camera up and compose the image that you feel captures the waterfall best. This is the time when you place the camera on your support, preferably a tripod. You will attach the remote release if you are able to do so. After you have finished composing the picture, take a look at what is needed in the way of filters. Like I said, a polarizer is usually a good bet so get that one on the lens. Set your camera on either Manual Mode or Aperture Priority Mode. Now you will look at your exposure values. Set your ISO to the lowest that you can (usually 50 or 100). This will help to slow the shutter and will give you the cleanest possible image. You will stop down the aperture for maximum depth of field. Don't go too narrow though as you will actually degrade the overall image quality. I have found that apertures between f/8 and f/22 are the best for waterfall work. Now see where your shutter speed falls.
Depending on the speed of the water, I like to aim for a shutter speed of between 10 and 30 seconds for all but the fastest waterfalls, or plunges. For those I go with 1-5 seconds. If your shutter speed isn't where you want it, this is where you need to make adjustments. If it is too slow, then you can open up your aperture, or raise the ISO a tad. Typically though, you will still want to slow things down a bit. With the lens stopped down and the ISO set the lowest it can go, your only other bet is to add a neutral density filter of a strength that will help you achieve your goal. Be careful about stacking filters though. You can end up with some pretty bad vignetting, especially with a wide angle lens. This is the darkening of the corners due to the filters protruding from the lens so far that they encroach on the actual image.
Tree Topper
There might come a time when you need a filter that I have not mentioned yet. In the case above, the sky cleared for a brief time while photographing the Elk River Falls. I decided to try and incorporate the top of the waterfall which was the most dramatic against the clearing sky. Obviously, there were going to be exposure issues with the bright blue sky. I was using about a 10 second shutter speed here which was blowing out the sky very badly. The waterfall was perfect though. I decided to fit a 3-Stop ND Grad on top of everything else for this shot. That managed to control the exposure quite well. Keep that in mind when you are photographing against the sky. You might have to deal with overexposure issues along the top of your frame. ND Grads are great filters for a landscape photographer, and they can also provide a slight edge to waterfall photographers as well.
Once you have your exposure set where you want it, check your composition and focus. This might have to be done with the filters removed because things can get quite dark with a stack of polarizers and neutral density filters. Having a faster lens comes in good here, but your auto focus will probably still not work. Manual focusing is the best bet here anyway. Once your composition, focus, and exposure are all set, you are ready to make the exposure. Use the remote release, or the self timer to ensure a sharp image.
If you are shooting digital, check your histogram in the review screen and make sure that your exposure is good. Its ok to have a little bit of stacking to the right because a large part of your waterfall will likely be white. Just make sure that there is not too much data loss to the right, and pay attention to the shadows (to the left) as well. As with any good exposure, you want to see a nice spread of pixels across your histogram. You can also zoom in to check the blurring of the water to see if you achieved your goals.
Lens Selection
As with all other types of photography, the focal length that you choose will have a profound effect on the composition of your image. Waterfalls are no exception. I have used lenses from 10-22mm all the way to a 70-200mm when capturing waterfalls. When you can get in close, you can take advantage of the wide angle lenses to utilize a foreground element and make it stand out. You can also show a great sense of depth to an image with a wide angle lens. Take for instance this photograph of the Hidden Falls. The rock in the foreground's size was exaggerated with the use of a 10-22mm lens. It becomes an element that leads you into the photograph while providing a solid visual anchor.
Cascade on the Rocks
The other end of the spectrum is the use of a long lens. You will no longer be able to really take advantage of foregrond elements, but these telephoto lenses are great for picking out specific parts of a waterfall. There are just times that a waterfall is just too big to capture in one photograph while making it interesting. These are the times that you should think about isolating elements of the waterfall. The best tool for that is the long lens. The photograph below illustrates this idea. It was captured with a 70-200mm racked out to about 135mm or so. The waterfall that this was picked from is about 100-150 wide and maybe 12 feet tall. Isolations work very well for this waterfall.
A Steady Flow
Not Just for Waterfalls
The techniques that we have talked about here apply to more than just waterfall photography. They can be used any time that you want to show motion. I've used waterfall techniques for everything from cascading mountain streams to fountains at night. Everything pretty much carries over for these types of subjects.
Jacob Fork River
Fire and Ice
Whether it is a waterfall or a fountain...a slow shutter speed will add a mystical appearance to an ordinary subject. Our eyes can only see at one speed, while a camera can capture both faster and slower. If you learn to harness that ability with your camera then you be able to create photographs that capture the viewer's attention and will keep it longer.
Homework, A Practical Exercise
This is a new part of Tips and Tricks, so bear with me while I iron out the details. I have geared this tutorial to those with SLR/DSLR cameras who also have some accessories. However, I have also presented some alternatives for those that either don't have all of the equipment, or have point and shoots that aren't compatible with the accessories. The main thing that you need is a camera capable of shutter speeds in excess of 5 seconds with either a manual or aperture priority setting.
You assignment, if you choose to take part is to grab your camera and head toward some moving water. Obviously, a waterfall or some rapids will be the closest to the concepts of this tutorial, but you can also find a man made fountain to give these techniques a try. Try some of the things that I have suggested here and see how they work for you. Once you get a photograph that you are happy with, come home and post it on the web. You can post to either a website (online photo album, or forum), or a blog. Send me a link either by email (GregKiser@446Photography.com) or by leaving a comment here. I will come and check out your photograph and critique it based on this tutorial. If you want to participate without the critique, just let me know that you are just posting for fun and I'll forgo any suggestions.
If you don't have anything set up where you can post the picture(s), then I invite you to register at www.apertureartists.com. There is a waterfall forum in the landscapes category where you are welcome to post. The main thing is that you get the picture up online and tell a little bit about it. Let me know what settings you used, and whether or not you achieved the "look" you were after.
Lets try and have these in by Friday, October 23, 2009. There might be another homework assignment the following week.
I hope that this tutorial has cleared up any questions that you might have about waterfall photography. It really is a fun type of photography, and one that I have kept as a favorite for many years now. I have become so addicted to waterfalls that I have a full directory of the waterfalls that I have visited over the years. Reading the entries in The Call of the Waterfall will give you an idea what I go through as far as travel and hiking to get to the waterfalls that I have photographed.
Until next time....
Written by Greg A. Kiser
Posted by Greg A. Kiser at 9/27/2009 8:01 PM 
Categories: Tips and Tricks,Waterfalls,Features
Tags: Photo Tutorials Waterfalls Features
Categories: Tips and Tricks,Waterfalls,Features
Tags: Photo Tutorials Waterfalls Features
Comments