Water is life force. No one and nothing can exist without water, it is everywhere - dangerous and beautiful at the same time. And for us, as photographers, it would be simply madness to ignore this seemingly ordinary, but true miracle of nature. In this article we will talk about how to shoot water in motion, how to make a photo “live” and create that magical blur effect of running water.

Photographing flowing water: Choosing a shooting location

First, think about the context in which you would like to capture the water. There are plenty of options, it all depends on your capabilities and location. If you want to capture the energy and drama of running water, shoot waterfalls; if you want to work with something simpler and more predictable, use city fountains. If you prefer something more spacious and large-scale, go to the coastline, and flowing rivers will create a more interesting and creative image.

In each of the mentioned states, water is unique, and although we still have one subject to shoot, each of them has its own technical features of shooting. We will discuss which ones below.

Photographing flowing water: Basic rules

Before we get into the technical details, let's remember the basics of any landscape photography. You need to understand that your photos won't look amazing just because there is water in them - you need to make sure that all elements of the frame, such as composition, are well thought out. Therefore, to begin with, select a shooting point, study the object, the nature and direction of movement of the water, and determine the most advantageous angle. To determine the visual centers of the frame, use the classic “rule of thirds.”

Photographing flowing water: Technical tricks

Now let's talk about camera settings. In fact, the key parameter in capturing water movement is shutter speed. It is the long shutter speed that gives photographs that magical blur of running water and turns quite ordinary landscapes into real masterpieces.

So: first, set up your camera on a tripod. The more stable the camera is, the better. Ideally, you can use a shutter timer or cable release to avoid any slight camera shake.

In the settings, select “shutter priority” shooting. Set the shutter speed to 1/10 second or more. You'll have to experiment with exposure settings. To compensate for the amount of light entering the matrix (due to high shutter speed), set the aperture to a low value (f7 and beyond, depending on the capabilities of your optics). It is also worth setting the ISO to the minimum value.

The best option is to use neutral density filters. They allow you to reduce the amount of incoming light without changing image parameters such as contrast and color. In fact, they allow you to shoot during the day at “night” exposure levels.

Once you're done with the settings, start shooting!

Photographing flowing water: Don't limit yourself

Don't limit your photographic vision and don't forget that water doesn't only exist in natural bodies of water. It surrounds us everywhere: splashes and drops, small streams of water. To photograph water correctly, first try to observe and understand how water reacts to various physical phenomena

Whereas when shooting large bodies of water, the moment of capturing the movement of water depended on a long shutter speed to show the blur of movement, shooting a small amount of water implies freezing the action. That is, you will need a very short shutter speed and high shooting speed. To capture the moment of movement, you can use the “continuous” shooting mode.

Taking pictures of flowing water: Go and do it

We hope that in our article you found some useful tips for yourself and can now start shooting on your own. If you plan to photograph natural bodies of water, plan to spend a lot of time on it. Most likely, you won’t be able to do everything perfectly the first time, but don’t be afraid to experiment, work on yourself and you will be rewarded for it more than once. And remember, to get your perfect shot of running water, you don’t have to go on a long trip, look around: splashes, drops, trickles of water and rain puddles - water is everywhere, there is an endless field for experimentation.

Thanks to numerous collections, most Internet users are familiar with beautiful photographs of drops, blurry “silk” waterfalls and other effects. But only a few of them know how to photograph water correctly to achieve such results. Actually, it's not that difficult. We will look at all the techniques as part of an interesting series of articles, entirely devoted to how to photograph water.

Day 1. How to photograph a river or waterfall to convey the movement of water?

The familiar silk effect, like in this photo, is created to convey movement. Thus, if you set a fast shutter speed, for example 1/125 or 1/400, the movement will be stopped and the viewer will not feel it in the photograph. Therefore, to create a silky water surface, you need to use shutter speeds from 1/2 to 1/15 seconds. At such shutter speeds, any moving object is blurred, and water is no exception.

The second condition is the presence of a tripod. At slow shutter speeds such as 1/2 and 1/8, it is impossible to hold the camera steady in your hands to get a sharp photo.

The third condition is great value. Since the shutter speed will be long, and photography will take place during daylight hours, there is a high probability of overexposure. To prevent this from happening, you need to close your aperture to f/22 or f/16. These values ​​will ensure good background detail.

Water and stones often reflect light, which can cause them to be very shiny. To compensate for this glare and deepen the colors, you can use a polarizing filter. The filter will also reduce it by 1-1.5 stops, which will make the shutter speed even longer.

Another important condition is to wait for cloudy weather or shoot at sunrise or sunset, when the scene is less lit.

Step-by-step instruction:

Step 1. Find the desired angle and compose the future, holding the camera in your hands and looking through the viewfinder.

Step 2. Having composed your composition, place the camera on a tripod and attach it.

Step 3. Set the camera to manual mode M or aperture priority mode A (Av) and set the minimum sensitivity (ISO 100 or 200).

Step 4. Attach a polarizing filter to the lens. If possible, connect a remote control cable to the camera to release the shutter without disturbing the camera's stability. You can use matrix metering to help your camera determine exposure more accurately.

Step 5: Scroll the polarizing filter ring until the glare disappears and the colors are vibrant.

Step 6. Set the aperture value to f/22 or f/16 - it will automatically set the shutter speed - its value will appear in the viewfinder or on the screen. If the mode is set to manual, select a shutter speed value from 1/2 to 1/8. To achieve the correct exposure, these values ​​can of course be changed depending on the scene.

Step 7. Take a photo of the landscape and view the result on the display.

In the next article we will also talk about how to photograph water, but we will focus on techniques for photographing splashes and drops.

Want your own source of photo inspiration and peace of mind? Find out how to make an imitation of water in your summer cottage or near your house.

Waterfalls and rapids are some of the most enjoyable scenes that can be captured with your digital camera. However, fast-moving water poses a tricky challenge for photographers.

Often it is not possible to find the optimal exposure. For example, if the shutter speed is too short, the “blur” effect of a moving water stream becomes unattainable. In other cases, images are either too light or too dark due to the fact that the scene being shot contains both dark rocks and rocks and light foaming water.

You can photograph scenes with moving water in any weather, not just sunny. This is an advantage. In fact, cloudy weather is even better. You can shoot with long shutter speeds with it. The contrast of the scene being filmed also decreases. With high contrast, choosing the optimal exposure is almost impossible.

Be careful not to overexpose the water flow. This is probably the most important thing to pay attention to. If the water is “overexposed”, or there is a loss of detail in the highlights, then the picture can be safely thrown into the trash. Fortunately, the histogram that a digital camera can display can help save your nerve cells.

Getting ready

Step 1. Gray days are the best

When shooting moving water, the sun is harmful. Bright light will force you to shoot with a fast shutter speed, while the blur effect requires a long shutter speed. What is even more significant, on a sunny day the contrast of the scene being photographed increases: areas flooded with sunlight are too light, in contrast, the shadows are too deep.

Step #2. Shoot after a heavy downpour

Cloudiness and uniform lighting are the most suitable weather conditions. Additionally, you should pay attention to the time of year. During dry seasons, powerful streams of water can turn into scatterings of tiny streams. Catch a moment after a good downpour, say the next day or so. The downpour will “saturate” the water flow, and there will be a lot of water in the frame. Check the weather forecast for your planned shooting location in advance.

Step #3. "Hold" the sensitivity

To capture milk foam flowing in an image, you have to shoot at long shutter speeds, very long shutter speeds. Sensitivity (ISO) is the first setting you should consider on your DSLR camera. Set it to the minimum value: 100, 200 or L1.0 (depending on the camera model you are using).

Step #4. Shoot in RAW format, not JPEG

Even when shooting in cloudy weather, light areas of your photos may lose detail. Insure yourself at the processing stage, select RAW as the output image format. Now switch the camera to aperture priority shooting mode (“A” or “Av”). Then you can shoot with the longest possible shutter speed in these lighting conditions.

Step #5. Plant your feet with three feet

A tripod is necessary for long exposure photography. Models in which the supports can be rotated at angles independent of each other are extremely convenient for use in hilly, rocky terrain.

For shooting on a tripod, a remote shutter release control is useful, which can be either wired or wireless. With it you don’t have to be afraid of touching and displacing the photo system when you press the button.

Step #6. How long should the shutter speed be?

Set the maximum aperture value that is possible with your lens. Start with number 22. Then press the shutter button halfway and see what shutter speed the camera suggests. A shutter speed of 1/4 second is suitable for shooting a stormy stream, and a shutter speed of 20 seconds is suitable for shooting quiet streams.

Step #7. Longer your shutter speed with a neutral density (ND) filter

If your shutter speed is not long enough, use a neutral density filter. Place it in front of the front lens element to reduce the amount of light passing through the lens.

A neutral density filter marked ND8 absorbs 87.5% of the light passing through it, a filter marked ND64 absorbs 98% of the light. As an alternative to an ND filter, use a polarizing filter (PL). It will absorb up to 75% of the light.

Step #8. Avoid overexposure

Take a “sighting” shot. Look at the image carefully: it is very easy to end up with an overexposed or underexposed photo. Check the histogram. If the photo is too light (approx.. translator -bar chart"cut off"on the right edge), set exposure compensation to -1 EV. Take a second shot. If the image is too dark (approx. translator - the histogram is “cut off” at the left edge), set exposure compensation to +1 EV.

To learn how to photograph water drops and splashes, you need to know a few basic principles. Firstly, unlike waterfalls and rivers, photographing drops requires a photographer to have considerable patience, since only one out of dozens of photographs will be successful. This type of photography requires quick reactions, so to photograph water droplets, it is better to set the camera to burst mode.

Secondly, to prevent the drops from being blurry, the camera needs to stop moving. This will require a fast shutter speed, from 1/1000 to 1/2000. Another condition is not very small, that is, a value of at least f/5.

The third condition follows from the previous one - that take pictures of water, you will need either a powerful light source or greater light sensitivity, or perhaps both at the same time.

Fourthly, to create a beautiful background you need colored paper, colored plastic or other surface, and for water - a transparent bowl. Using these simple items you can create beautiful drops.

Finally, to avoid glare on the water surface, it is better to direct the light source to a colored background, and not to the bowl itself.

Step-by-step instruction:

Step 1. Prepare the shooting location. For example, it is mounted on a tripod on the left, and a 1000 W video lamp is used for lighting (it is installed on the right). The light is directed onto a colored background. To be fair, this example is used only to demonstrate the general setup. To beautifully illuminate the drops, it is better to place the light source at the back and side of the bowl.

Step 2. Prepare a bowl of water, as well as a source from which the water will drip. It can be:

• A) pipette
• B) an ordinary plastic bag with a small hole in the corner: water will drip through it (one of the best options)
• B) tap
• D) a bottle with a sports neck (this is the bottle used for this example)

Step 3. Mount your camera on a tripod. You will need a macro lens, but if you don’t have one, you can use a Soviet one with macro rings (for example, Jupiter 37A and a set of macro rings, it is very inexpensive and the quality is excellent). If you have a soap dish, switch it to macro mode. But remember that it will not be easy to get high-quality images with its help. The best point-and-shoot cameras for this type of shooting are compact ones, for example, the Canon Powershot G9.

Step 4. Set your shooting parameters, keeping in mind that the shutter speed should be fast. For this example, the shooting parameters used were 1/1250, f/6.3, ISO 500.

Step 5. Set the camera to focus mode M (manual focus mode). Focus on the test stream or any object dropped into the bowl. Remember that when focusing manually, the place where the drops fall must match. Take a few test shots to make sure the drops are sharp.

Step 6. Take pictures! The main secret of success is in the number of photos and your dexterity. However, even in such unpredictable plots, the sniper ideology works. The more attentive the photographer, the better the photographs will turn out. Thoughtless shooting in machine gun mode may not lead to the desired results.

Experiment with camera position and light. Additionally, to achieve interesting results, you can:

• A) change the background (even indoor plants can be used as a background)
• B) change the height from which the drops fall (the higher the bottle, the more drops)
• C) tint the water that drips from the bottle: the water in the bowl will be transparent, and the water in the bottle will be colored, which will create an interesting effect.
• D) change the direction of light: at different angles of incidence of light rays, water looks different. The drops look best when they are illuminated with back-to-side light.
• E) change the shooting point: note that in the example above the camera is located almost at the level of the drop, and in the example of step 4 the drop is shot from above.

When it comes to photographing moving subjects, it's natural to assume that you need to use fast shutter speeds to freeze the movement in the frame. . But it also happens that as a result of using short shutter speeds and obtaining a clear image, photographs remain static and lifeless. A classic example is photographs of waterfalls, rivers and any other flowing water. Water that is shot at a long shutter speed and becomes blurry looks much more impressive.

In the photographs above, you can see that in the image (left), taken with the camera's automatic settings and a relatively fast shutter, the movement of the water is suspended and frozen at the moment the photograph was taken. The photo on the right used manual camera settings, adjusted the speed and set a slow shutter speed, which blurred the movement of the water, giving the image a dreamy atmosphere and more dynamism to the photo.

What needs to be done to blur the water to give an artistic effect?

1. Switch the camera to shutter priority mode by rotating the mode dial to S or on Canon Tv models.

2. Choose a shutter speed starting from 1/30. This is a good starting point.

3. Take a control photo. If the water doesn't blur enough, choose an even slower shutter speed, such as 1/15 or 1/8.

Note: There's a good chance it will be needed to avoid camera shake.

Even breathing affects camera shake, so it is easier and less troublesome to use when taking photos or. With their help, you will not be limited in your choice and will be able to use almost any shutter speed that your equipment is capable of. But even when using a tripod, the camera may shake when you touch the shutter button. It’s quite simple to save the situation - use a cable or self-timer. This will greatly increase the chances that the camera will remain in the most stable position.

Choose a tripod- it’s not an easy, troublesome task and can confuse a novice photographer with its multitasking. It can be difficult to immediately understand the issues of selecting such a useful and indispensable accessory for a photographer as a tripod. If you have the slightest doubt about which model to choose, make the most of your chance - consult with specialists. You can get some information from forums for photographers, or you can call and ask questions to specialists. They will answer them and help you choose the tripod you need - be it GreenBean, Grifon or Smartum. It is important to know for what tasks you will choose equipment for yourself and what budget is allocated for this.

4. Please note that the shutter speed will change as the shutter speed increases. You can see that the exposure pair (shutter speed + aperture) is selected incorrectly, the camera will notify you about this - the f value will blink. This means the exposure is incorrect and adjustments must be made accordingly. For example, reduce the aperture value to the maximum or reduce it. Then using a long shutter speed will be justified and you will get a light-balanced photo.

If suddenly, for some reason, there is so much light that lowering the ISO and closing it to maximum still does not save the situation and you cannot select the necessary shutter speed to blur the movement of the water, consider using a neutral density filter.

What is a neutral density filter- This is a special filter on the lens that blocks part of the light. Since these filters are intended only to reduce light output, their use does not in any way affect the color of the image; they are known as neutral density filters. They differ in the amount of light they can hold. A 2x neutral density filter will cut the light that enters your camera in half, and a 4x neutral density filter will cut the light that enters your camera by a factor of 4. Select filters according to the thread corresponding to the diameter of the thread of the working lens. The most common are 52 and 58 mm. You can always find out the required number by looking at the front panel of the lens.

A polarizing filter can also act like a neutral density filter, but has other effects depending on the application. In any case, both types of filters are capable of reducing light output and allow the use of longer shutter speeds.

And finally, I would like to note that, being armed with unshakable knowledge on a particular issue, always leave room for experimentation. After all, there are no rules without exceptions!