Learn Water Photography
Water Falls
Waterfalls are probably the most common subject in water photos. Waterfalls can be surprisingly hard to photograph well. Ideally you want to make a deliberate choice about how blurry the water will appear and where the brightest part of your image is. Like much of wildlife/natural photography, the scene you are presented is what you have - take it or leave it - so a truely great waterfall photo often relies on chance lighting. Where your skill comes in is composition and exposure.
Waterfalls are probably the most common subject in water photos. Waterfalls can be surprisingly hard to photograph well. Ideally you want to make a deliberate choice about how blurry the water will appear and where the brightest part of your image is. Like much of wildlife/natural photography, the scene you are presented is what you have - take it or leave it - so a truely great waterfall photo often relies on chance lighting. Where your skill comes in is composition and exposure.
Composition for water falls seems to be pretty much the same as composition for photography in general. Exposure is the challenge. Waterfalls, depending on how close you are, how fast the water is moving (a function of height) and how much "veil" you want, generally expose well in the .5 seconds to 4 seconds. The only way to be really sure is to take the shot and look it - OK on a digital, painful on film. Finally, consider brightness. If white water makes up a substantial part of your picture, you may have to over expose.
Water Splash at Different Speeds
perhaps the most common "special effect" in photography is to capture water drops frozen in air by using a fast shutter speed. While the long blurring veils of water are generally shot at greater than half a second (4 seconds being long), frozen action generally happens beyond about 1/250th of a second. Again, lighting (the proportion of the scene that is white) can effect your meter reading.
Water Splash at Different Speeds
perhaps the most common "special effect" in photography is to capture water drops frozen in air by using a fast shutter speed. While the long blurring veils of water are generally shot at greater than half a second (4 seconds being long), frozen action generally happens beyond about 1/250th of a second. Again, lighting (the proportion of the scene that is white) can effect your meter reading.
Two things need happen - you have to be on placed to receive the reflected image (Brewsters angle for the physics inclined), and the light source generally has to be brighter than the ambient light falling on the water surface. It helps if the water is still, but it isn't a requirement.
Water as Receiving surface
Because humans have expectations about what colour water should be, it can be effective at demonstrating what colour was actually seen. Sunsets are particularly problematic - the light for a few minutes is beautiful, but if you have nothing notable to photograph, your opportunity is wasted. Add water, you have "kept" your light.
Because humans have expectations about what colour water should be, it can be effective at demonstrating what colour was actually seen. Sunsets are particularly problematic - the light for a few minutes is beautiful, but if you have nothing notable to photograph, your opportunity is wasted. Add water, you have "kept" your light.
Water as a Transport Mechanism
The most common example of this is leaves on a slow stream or pedals on a pool. These are long exposures (>4 seconds, sometimes 20 or 30 seconds) so you may require a neutral density filter along with slow film and a small apature. You want to ensure it's a bright thing over a dark background because you can't have motion blur of a dark thing over a bright background (thank gamma).
The most common example of this is leaves on a slow stream or pedals on a pool. These are long exposures (>4 seconds, sometimes 20 or 30 seconds) so you may require a neutral density filter along with slow film and a small apature. You want to ensure it's a bright thing over a dark background because you can't have motion blur of a dark thing over a bright background (thank gamma).
Oh, and your probably want to put the stuff in the water yourself because otherwise you will be waiting forever.
Long Exposure Wave Wash
Where you have substanial waves (generally ocean), you can get a nice fog effect. Depending on the strength of the waves, you need a several second exposure to capture a few washes. Having light on the water helps.
Long Exposure Wave Wash
Where you have substanial waves (generally ocean), you can get a nice fog effect. Depending on the strength of the waves, you need a several second exposure to capture a few washes. Having light on the water helps.
Use Water as a Lens
Water can be used as a lens. With enough macro length, you can do things with that.