I really, really believe that.
What do the pros have going for them? Besides several thousand dollars
in equipment, the main advantage pros have in nature photography is
Both of these issues can be overcome by you!
Are you ready? Let's dig in.
1. Use a tripod
I can't emphasize this enough. You need a tripod. Badly.
Without a doubt. No question about it. Just do it. A
tripod will have the greatest impact on improving your waterfall pictures.
Let me show you why. Click on the tripod picture.
Yes, click on the link above and then return here.
Have I sold you on the value of a tripod? You didn't skip the link did
you? Yes, go back and read it or you'll be missing out. Hey, it's
free!
Yes, I know tripods can be a little cumbersome. 
But let's get real
here. Do you think you can snap your fingers and great waterfall pictures
will appear? Nope, sorry. You're dreaming again.
Let me give you some good news, though.
Carrying a tripod is the hardest part of getting incredible waterfall
photos.
Now that wasn't so bad, was it? 
2. Use a polarizing filter
This is easy. A polarizer costs about $40 for an average quality
filter. Don't go cheap here as a good polarizer will last as long as your
lens and camera body. Any landscape picture will benefit from a polarizer
but in the case of waterfall pictures, the effect is magnified because of the
water.
What does a polarizer do? In simple terms, a polarizing filter
reduces or eliminates unwanted reflections, whether it be on water or rocks or
even leaves. It also enhances the color of the sky - essentially making
the blues deeper and more vibrant.
Again, I've built a separate page that shows the effects of a polarizer on
waterfall pictures along with more details on how it works.
Just click the filter picture.
3. Avoid the Sun
Shoot early or shoot late or pray for
bad weather.
Any questions?
Ok, Ok, I'll explain it. Chill out.
Light is a funny thing and it does funny things early and late in the day.
The low angle of the light at sunrise and sunset causes the light to pass
through more of the Earth's atmosphere. Without any more technical jargon,
let's just say this causes better lighting conditions. And, well, it does.
The one hour window is great, and two hours after or before
sunrise/sunset are still ok, especially for waterfall pictures which are often
located in steep terrain and dense foliage.
So what's with the bad weather comment?
It's simple. Direct sunlight is bad for waterfall pictures.
Overcast days provide more even lighting and help to reduce the contrast in
your photos. With waterfalls especially there is excessive contrast
between the waterfall and its surroundings. And if there is direct
sunlight hitting the water it is practically impossible to get an evenly exposed
picture. Either the waterfall will be overexposed or the surrounding rocks
and foliage will be underexposed. The solution?
Shoot early or shoot late or pray for
bad weather.
One other solution is to do some post-processing with photo editing software
such as Photoshop. I'm working on some Photoshop tips to help you.
Stay tuned.
Now, a few other conditions, caveats, and fine print.
Since waterfalls are often located in hilly or mountainous areas, good
lighting is often available well past "normal" shooting times for nature
photographers because the waterfall and surroundings are naturally shaded.
For instance, a waterfall that is facing west and that is at the base of a
mountain in the Smokies could be shaded for as long as 4-6 hrs.
Exactly because of this I have included on each waterfall page the direction
that they face. Use this information as a loose guideline in determining
whether to visit in the morning or evening.
4. Bracket, Bracket, Bracket
Shoot a bunch of waterfall pictures. I mean a bunch.
Bracketing in photography has to do with hedging your bets, if you will.
Trust your autoexposure meter, but verify. Especially with waterfalls, the
meter can be fooled. It will tend to underexpose the water. The
solution is to bracket the exposure. All digital SLRs now allow you to
automatically bracket pictures based on settings you give it. Read your
manual to find out how to do this.
You can also switch your camera to manual mode and bracket manually if all
else fails or if you own an inexpensive camera. Been there. Done
that.
Just take the first picture on auto and note the shutter speed and f-stop
used. Switch it to manual. Using the same f-stop, take a couple of
pictures at slightly longer shutter speeds and a couple at slightly shorter
shutter speeds. See, you ARE as smart as a computer!
What do the pros do? They take a ton of pictures! To a large
extent it's a numbers game. They expect roughly one quality picture out of
every 24 shots (from the old days of film). Yes, the pros tend to have a
higher percentage of good shots, but they learn very early that it's a numbers
game.
To quote an old hockey legend, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take".
Bracket, bracket, bracket.
Shoot, shoot, shoot.
You may never be back.
Make it count.
5. It's the composition, stupid!
You have a natural point of interest for your picture - literally.
Try moving the location of the waterfall around in your picture - top,
bottom, left, right, center.
Play with the rule of thirds.
|
Rule of Thirds
This
successful technique has been used by artists for hundreds of years.
 Mentally divide the frame into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. It would
look something like the grid shown here.
The intersections are natural focal points. Placing the waterfall
in one of these locations will give it an extra emphasis.
Remember, though, it's only a rule and rules are
meant to be .... |
If you have a zoom lens, use it to play with different compositions too -
close-ups, wide angle, etc.
Experiment with vertical (aka portrait) and horizontal (aka landscape)
compositions. Waterfall pictures are often perfect for vertical
compositions so give it a try.
Pay attention to any distracting elements in the frame such as trash or
limbs. If you have an ugly sky try to remove it from the frame.
Playing with the viewpoint is well worth some time. Frontal
shots of a waterfall are often - what shall I say - boring. Look for nice
views from the side that use trees, foliage, or rocks to accent or frame the
waterfall. Don't just stop at the most obvious spot and setup your
tripod.
Again, we're talking about taking a bunch of pictures. Later you can
look them over and figure out what works and what doesn't. Learning what
works and what doesn't is an important part of training your eye to see both the
possibilities and the problems.
Are you ready now? Psyched up?
