The Smooth Waterfall Effect

I am sure you have seen those beautiful nature shots containing lakes and waterfalls. The water appears to be silky smooth as it pours over the cliff from above. You may be thinking why every time you take a picture containing water, the water seems frozen in place? I will be discussing how to achieve the Smooth Waterfall Effect by changing your camera’s settings to get this desired effect.

The Smooth Waterfall Effect

What Causes This Effect?

In my last post, I reminded you that your photograph is affected by three camera settings: Shutter Speed, Aperture, and ISO. This Smooth Waterfall Effect is a result of using a slower shutter speed. Shutter speed is the amount of time the cameras shutter is open while taking the picture. Below is an example of how shutter speed can affect your photograph.

Photo By Matt Platz- Shutter Speed (Click to Enlarge)

Notice how the water seems more ridged in the left photo, but appears much smoother in the right photo? This happens because the camera’s shutter is open for less time which allows for more motion blur. To practice using a slow shutter speed, you can easily try this at home with your DSLR camera and a faucet! (To read more about how shutter speed works, visit Photography Tips: Shutter Speed).

How to Achieve This Effect

By using Shutter Priority Mode, you can manually adjust the shutter speed of your camera. Go to the dial on top of your camera and select Tv. This mode will allow you to adjust the shutter speed while your camera automatically chooses the aperture and ISO for you. Shutter speed is expressed as a fraction, such as 1/5. The lower the bottom number, the slower the shutter speed.

Camera Modes

Tripods

Because the camera’s shutter remains open for a longer period of time, all camera movement must be eliminated. A tripod is necessary for attempting this effect. If you do not have a tripod, placing the camera on any steady surface will do just fine. Always protect your investment by making sure it is completely stable and safe from falls.

Filters

In order for your camera to achieve a slower shutter speed while in Shutter Priority Mode, it will automatically decrease the ISO and increase the aperture number. This compensates for the large amount of light allowed through the lens. On extremely bright and sunny days, your shutter may still not be slow enough to get the smoothest looking water possible. So how do you do it?

Neutral Density Filters (ND Filters) will help you in this situation. These filters screw on to the front of your lens and decrease the amount of light being let through. They are basically like sun glasses for your camera. By darkening the image, you can successfully use a slower shutter speed in order to achieve the Smooth Waterfall Effect. The slower the shutter speed you are capable of using, the more enhanced the effect will become.

There are several different kinds of ND filters available to buy. Visit Cambridge in Colour for more information on ND filters.

Neutral Density Filter

Five Steps to Achieving this Effect

Now that you know the basics behind shutter speed and the Smooth Waterfall Effect, I will now list out the steps that you can follow to achieve this effect:

1. Set your camera to Shutter Priority Mode (Tv)

2. Screw on your ND filter (if applicable)

3. Adjust the shutter speed to a lower number

4. Focus your scene

5. Snap your shot!

Call to Action!

Now that you know how to use this effect, go out and give it a try! Try the shutter speed experiment I provided earlier, and let me know in the comments how it worked for you.

Send your pictures to mattplatz@hotmail.com and I will feature them on my blog!

Tune in next week for useful techniques on photographing lights!