Shooting a Waterfall

nigel

Hi All, I have the D3100 with the kit lens, prime lens and the wide lens. I'm going for a trek to a waterfall place and want to click some nice pictures of lushy greenery and waterfall where the water looks like glass or just white. What settings do I use and how far should I stand from the waterfall? I want something like this:

http://www.ratestogo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/triberg-waterfalls.jpg

Can someone help with the settings?

feliporpeta

Hello Nigel,

Last weekend I did the same thing you're willing to do with the kit lens. I'm a beginner so the more experienced guys can correct me if I'm wrong.

You'll need a tripod or somewhere you can leave your camera steady to begin with. I didn't have a tripod so I put my camera on top of a rock nearby.

After that, set your camera to Speed Priority (S) and pump up the seconds. I've got a picture very similar to the one you posted using 20 seconds. This way you'll achieve motion blur on the water.

Be aware that you can't exagerate on the seconds because the camera will use ISO and Aperture to compensate for the speed and it might ruin the exposure. My best tip is to take pictures with different speeds, then you pick the one you liked the most.

Hope this helps! Happy shooting! :)

Thanks,
Felipe

nigel

Cool! Will do, thank you.

PBked

I would just add to think of the camera angle as well. If it is a low waterfall, say 3-6 feet, then try a low or level angle. This can change the impact of your picture a lot. If it is a huge waterfall, try to get a high angle.
If you are using a 50mm, then shutter speeds around a fifth to a tenth of a second will produce motion blur like your example, but there is no harm in trying the speeds Felipe suggested.

nigel

Which is the best lens to use for waterfalls; 35mm or kit lens or wide angle lens?

feliporpeta

Hi Nigel,

I don't see much difference other than speed when choosing a lens. Different lenses will have different shutter speeds for the effect you're looking to do.

Thanks,
Felipe