Technically,
photographing water is largely about shutter speed. But let's not jump too far ahead. As with all pictures, it's best to know what you want to
achieve before you press the shutter, rather than leaving it to
chance and hoping to get that magic grab-shot. Listen to the water, be aware of the environment and the mood of the weather and lighting, then frame a picture that matches your interpretation of the moment.
THE SEA
As we are all aware,
winds and tides alter the intensity of the ocean. The ocean is always
moving and you can judge its intensity both by sight and sound. Here
are a few examples of images of the sea, along with a description of both the conditions and the mood I have tried to convey. They graduate
from a scene of tranquillity to one of immense power.
This next image conveys tranquillity. It's all about the lines of the pier, with the water flattened out to the state of a duck-pond, using a filter to slow down the shutter speed. The tide was coming in and lapping around my feet next to Saltburn Pier. By slowing the shutter speed to around half-a-minute reflections of the pier were accumulated in the shallower water.
Focal length 11mm; f22
at 30 seconds; 100 ISO
Next, another long
exposure with a faster tide beating around the rocks and groynes,
with the intention of creating an ethereal mist from the splashing
tide. This shot was taken at Cleveleys.
Focal length 109mm; f16
at 15 seconds; 100 ISO
This next image shows a
gently pulsating tide at sunset. The water was making the most
pleasant sound – gently lapping against the shore in the quiet of
the evening. The intention was to capture its soothing motion, rather
than the raw power of the tide, as a foreground to the sun which was
reflecting up from just below the horizon.
Focal length 33mm; f16
at 1 second; 100 ISO
Next, gentle rolling
waves by the shore at Cleveleys, surrounding the sculpture of Mary's
Golden Shell. Here attention was given to the pattern of the waves,
with a shutter speed that did not freeze the movement of the water but rather left a
slight blurring of the waves, suggesting a gentle motion.
Focal length 92mm; f8
at 1/160 second; 100 ISO
My final shot of the
sea depicts its power. Personal safety was not at risk, as this image was
shot from Blackpool promenade, timed to capture the height of the
splash. Using such a shutter speed, the water is not entirely frozen; even
though individual droplets are visible there is still a sense of
movement to add to the drama.
Focal length 54mm; f11
at 1/160 second; 100 ISO
STREAMS
Streams suggest
different things to each of us: Inevitably the flow of water, at
different speeds, in different terrain; the pattern of the flow;
obstacles and obstructions breaking the flow; contours and
undulations from the shape and pattern of the surrounding land. All
of these features add to the beauty and tranquillity of a stream. The
challenge is to decide what influences your emotion when framing the
shot and convey this to the viewer. Apart from the choice of shutter
speed, there is a question of how much context to include. Do you
capture just the water itself? Or how much of the surroundings do you
include?
In this first shot, I
wished to feature the autumn leaves, caked in frost. The stream helps
to link the foreground to the distant woodland landscape. The stream
became a contextual feature of the shot rather than the main subject.
Focal length 15mm; f14
at 1.3 seconds; 100 ISO
The backlit tree branch
adds colour and light to the next picture. A moderate shutter speed
also adds a sense of movement in the water, forming interesting
patterns around the large boulder.
Focal length 55mm; f11
at 1/6 second; 100 ISO
A shutter speed of
between a quarter and a full second is generally suitable for
waterfalls, as is the case for this weir. It also gives a sense of
movement in the surrounding water. The dark space in the foreground
leads the eye to the large obstruction, with the pattern of water in
the right hand corner adding interest. Pleasing movement is shown in
the water surrounding the giant boulder.
Focal length 43mm; f11
at 1/2 second; 100 ISO
A vantage point above
the stream makes this shot more about the swirling water than that
falling from the weir. The differing levels also add interest to the
pattern of the stream. The shutter speed (being slightly faster than
ideal waterfall speed) separates the strands of water falling from
the weir.
Focal length 54mm; f11
at 1/160 second; 100 ISO
The final shot of a
stream features an abstract view of a section of flowing water, with
the edge of the riverbed in the foreground to add context. The
intention was to let the flowing water form a milky shape, using a
long shutter speed. My objective was to depict the shape of water.
Focal length 51mm; f8
at 60 seconds; 100 ISO
WATERFALLS
The noise of a
waterfall is one of the sensory indicators of its force which cannot
be portrayed by a still photograph. It is also difficult to perceive
a sense of scale without a comparator, such as a figure or a building
alongside it. This is advantageous in some instances, as a micro
landscape may be produced at the same image size as a large scene and
this adds an element of the unknown for the viewer. The choices of
composition are similar to those of streams - including how much of
the surrounding context to include. Do you get a sense of majesty or
surrounding beauty? How does the surrounding landscape contribute to
it? What are the emotional responses you wish to convey to the
viewer?
The force of the water
is less obvious in this next shot, as it is shielded by the striking
landscape. The water appears as a milky curtain, yet a sense of
movement is retained. Its slightly more solid appearance balances the
colours and form of the surrounding landscape.
Focal length 28mm; f8
at 1/2 second; 100 ISO
In the next image, the
autumn colours of the surrounding landscape complement the majesty of
Stock Ghyll Force. A sense of scale is not obvious but the
composition is about balancing the beautiful lines and form of the
waterfall with the surrounding countryside.
Focal length 22mm; f16
at 1/3 second; 100 ISO
My next shot features
Thornton Force – a striking and dominant waterfall set in the
limestone rock face at Ingleton. The intention was to capture the
flow of the water, by including some of the downstream detail, and
the colours of the flora in the rock face.
Focal length 21mm; f22
at 1/3 second; 100 ISO
Snow and ice around
this next waterfall, coupled with a slow shutter speed to capture the
moving water, successfully suggest a frozen environment.
Focal length 18mm; f20
at 1/4 second; 100 ISO
This last image is
actually a micro landscape, featuring the gentle flow of water down a
steep slope. There is no sense of scale and it could be seen as a
waterfall. I was attracted by the colours and lines.
Focal length 28mm; f8
at 0.6 seconds; 100 ISO
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