Shooting Waterfalls
One of my favorite things to do is hike trails with waterfalls! There is something about a waterfall that really draws me in. Perhaps it’s the relentlessness of water finding its path through any terrain. Or, maybe it’s the beauty of falling water mixed with the sound. It’s just one of those things that brings real joy to me. Seasons change the experience as well. Generally, the falls are flowing much faster in the spring due to snow melt, spring rain, or both. Spring and early summer also bring lush, green colors to most waterfall scenes. As summer wears on, the falls will lose some volume, perhaps to a trickle. Heavy rains can turn a trickle into a rage of whitewater very quickly. As fall approaches, the falls generally pick up more flow as rains tend to increase following the more dry summer. And then…those magic colors will start to appear in waterfall scenes with deciduous trees. This is truly my favorite time to hike and photograph these magnificent marvels of nature.
When I first took my camera out in an attempt to capture a waterfall scene, I left with less than satisfactory results. There is a lot to think about to get an image that represents what you saw and felt while shooting it. How do I compose the still scene my eyes are lucky enough to scan? What shutter speed will best expose the water? Can I get sharp focus front to back with a single image? Is there vegetation moving in the scene that will require a faster shutter speed? Do I need a polarizer to take glare off the water. rocks or vegetation? It can be very daunting for a relatively new photographer. As I have gained experience, here is what I try to do.
First, get there early or late in the day. This will give you the best light and likely allow you to avoid harsh light hitting your scene. Overcast days are great for waterfall photography! If the falls you are shooting are tucked into a forest with a heavy canopy of trees you will have an easier time shooting more towards the middle of the day.
ALWAYS use a sturdy tripod. As good as image stabilization is getting in modern cameras, you still need this for sharp photos. I find that my favored shutter speeds for the water tend to range between 1/6 of a second to a full second. This is a slow shutter speed for hand holding. Also, if the scene requires multiple exposures the tripod keeps you camera in the same spot.
Whenever possible, stand in the creek to shoot the scene. Muck boots or waders will make this much easier and more comfortable. Of course, you can do this in your bare feet, but be cautious as the rocks can be VERY slippery. You don’t want to fall down and hurt yourself or your gear. Also, many of these creeks can be very cold! Take your time and use your tripod as a walking stick to help keep your balance. TIP: when you set up your tripod in the creek, ensure you extend the bottom leg section fully to avoid getting water in the joints. Before I put my camera on the tripod I like to move around to vary my angle, height and focal length until I find what I like. Then it’s time to set up the tripod. Also, strongly consider taking a few different compositions. The worst thing that can happen is you delete them off your SD card. Many times I have found that these alternate comps are ones I like the most in the end.
I almost always use a polarizer. In rare cases it may not be necessary, especially if you are far away from your subject. Turn the polarizer until you get the desired result to remove glare. In the fall, the polarizer can also help saturate the colors in the foliage. The polarizer can also help you get the shutter speed you want to get the texture you are looking for in the white water. On brighter days it may be necessary to use a neutral density (ND) filter. I prefer to use these in combination with my polarizer. I most often find a shutter speeds in the 1/4 to 1/2 second range get the result that best fit my eye. I try to match something close the what my eyes see while standing there. Fast shutter speeds freeze to water and look very unnatural. Shutter speeds to slow create a big white mess of the water. Experiment and find what suits your eye, there is no “right” look. Remember, you can blend multiple images if you like the look in certain sections of the water better in various frames. You really never get the same result twice as the water is moving.
Make sure you get front to back sharpness in your scene. This can require focus stacking if your camera is close to subjects in your scene. Sometimes I will use a more shallow depth of field (numerically lower f-stop) to get a faster shutter speed without raising my ISO. In these cases a focus stack might be necessary. YouTube is full of videos on focus stacking if you aren’t familiar with how this works.
The final thing I worry about is moving vegetation. You will generally be shooting waterfall scenes with slow shutter speeds. If the vegetation in your scene is moving at all it will create blurry leaves, etc. Make sure you get a good exposure with the vegetation frozen in your scene. A shutter speed 2-3 times your focal length will generally do the tricks. Don’t assume, zoom in on your image to make sure you have everything sharp. Raise your ISO if you have to. It’s better to have some noise than softness. Noise can be dealt with quite effectively with post processing software.
Other items that can be helpful to you are: small umbrella to keep mist off your lens at a waterfall that is tall or really flowing. Good jet blower and lens cloth to clear mist or rain off your front element or filter.
Get out there and enjoy the outdoors!
-Dan
