Secrets to Creating Dynamic Waterfall Images – Part 2

Now that we have completed setting up for a waterfall shot in Part 1 of this series, we are ready to look at actually taking the shot.
Composition
Identifying and capturing strong composition is an extremely important part of creating powerful waterfall images. While the purpose of this article is not to carry out a thorough review of composition, a couple of aspects of composition (curves and environment) will be covered.
When used properly, curves can really strengthen an image. There are two types of curves that can be used to improve waterfall images. The first type of curve is formed by the water itself. When the flow of the water forms curves as the water flows toward, down, or away from a waterfall, the waterfall is much more interesting than a waterfall where the water just flows in a straight line. Basically, this type of curve adds some elegance to a waterfall image. The second type of curve that works well with waterfalls is any object that forms a curve that points toward the waterfall. This type of curve serves to direct the viewer’s eye toward the waterfall. This reinforces the waterfall as the center of interest and strengthens the image.
The other component of composition that we will cover is a waterfall’s environment. A waterfall’s surrounding environment can really spice up a waterfall image. Sometimes, the falling water alone just isn’t all that interesting. However, when the falling water is placed within the surrounding environment of rocks, trees, and vegetation, the waterfall can come alive. In essence, the surrounding environment can add character to the waterfall.

Shutter Speed
What shutter speed should be used to blur the falling water? That seems to be the first question that people usually ask about shooting waterfalls. However, there is no such thing as one correct shutter speed for shooting waterfalls! Rather, the proper shutter speed is a function of five factors:

1. The amount of blur desired
2. The volume of water
3. The speed of the water
4. The distance between the camera and the waterfall
5. The direction of the water flow with respect to the lens

So, the best shutter speed for one waterfall is different than the best shutter speed for another waterfall. That may seem a little bit disappointing. However, if you are using a digital camera, it is actually pretty easy to determine the best shutter speed for a particular waterfall situation. All you need to do is take a few test shots (each at a different shutter speed) and check the results on the camera monitor. Zooming in on the monitor will allow you to examine the image detail to determine if the water looks the way you want it to look.
Of course, it is nice to know where to start testing. When photographing large waterfalls that have significant volumes of turbulent water, 1/100 second is a good shutter speed with which to start. This shutter speed will capture the fierce nature of the water fairly well. Smaller waterfalls that have less water tend to use longer shutter speeds. When it is desired to create a blurred look to the water, a shutter speed of 1/2 second to 2 seconds is a good place to start.
Proper Exposure
As with all images, it is important to get the proper exposure when photographing waterfalls. Probably, the biggest risk that you will encounter when determining the best exposure for a waterfall is the potential clipping of the water highlights. If this occurs, the detail in the water is lost and can not be recovered. As a result, the water becomes a featureless area of white. This degrades the quality of the image. Luckily, there is an easy way to deal with this problem. All you need to do is take a test shot and look at the histogram on the camera monitor. If you see the histogram cut off on the right side, the highlights have been clipped. In this case, you need to reshoot the image with less exposure.
Summation
With these tips, you should be on your way to capturing some great waterfall images.