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Bond Falls
© Kevin Moss
All Rights Reserved
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Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is blessed with some of the most dramatic waterfalls in the country. Often, I’ll return to the same sites to shoot the same waterfalls I might have shot years ago. My techniques keep getting better, and sometimes, weather conditions are better one year from the other years. My tip: Never be hesitant to return to the same sites you’ve visited before. Practice can make perfect! With repeat visits, you’ll learn the area better, familiarize yourself with the best lighting conditions for the subject, and compose your shots differently than in the past.My tips for optimum waterfall shooting include: Lighting: Like shooting trees in autumn, the best lighting is overcast, especially in between rain storms. In the Upper Peninsula, it rains almost every day in the fall. You want that dark diffused lighting in order to slow down your shutter speed.
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Shutter Speed: In order to get that blurred-smooth-flow look to your waterfall scene, you need to shoot at a shutter speed of 1 to 1.6 seconds. In order to achieve a properly exposed scene at those slow shutter speeds, you’ll need to set your aperture to a setting of f/16 or smaller, up to f/22. You’ll get great depth of field, with the entire frame in focus too. If the lighting is too bright to bring your shutter speed down to 1 to 1.6 seconds, try a neutral density filter.ND Filter: A neutral density (ND) filter is a must for waterfall shooting. Placing an ND filter over your lens reduces the amount of light, thus decreasing the shutter speeds to accommodate the reduction of light, without affecting color in your scene.
Tripod and Remote Shutter Release: At shutter speeds of 1 to 1.6 seconds, use of a tripod, a good tripod is a must. Additionally, at those speeds, you’ll also need the assistance of utilizing a remote shutter release. Using a remote shutter release eliminates any vibration introduced to your camera when your finger actually presses the shutter. Trust me, a remote release, available for almost all camera models, makes a huge difference in obtaining sharp images. If you don’t have a remote shutter release, try the "poor-man’s/women’s remote shutter release".
Your Camera's Self-Timer: Using your cameras self-timer feature will accomplish the same effect as using a remote shutter release. When this feature is set, you press the shutter, and the camera doesn’t expose your film or image sensor for a pre-set number of seconds. Setting your self timer to 5 seconds will allow for any vibrations to cease when pressing the shutter button.
Editor's Note: Check out Kevin Moss's BetterPhoto course: Digital Photography for Nature Photographers.
About Author / Instructor / Photographer, Kevin Moss
 Kevin Moss is a professional photographer as well as author of digital photography books.Most recent written works include Photoshop CS2 and Digital Photography for Dummies (Wiley Publishing), Camera Raw with Photoshop for Dummies (Wiley Publishing), 50 Fast Digital Camera Techniques Revision 2 (Wiley Publishing), and Nature Photography and Photoshop (Course Technology). Kevins photographic travels began over 30 years ago while in high school. Though specializing in nature and landscapes, Kevin's expertise has grown to include fine-art portraiture, abstract photography, and urban scenes. In addition to writing books and teaching photographic techniques, Kevin also donates his time and photographic services to various children-related charities, including St. Jude Childrens Hospital, and Learning Circle Academy.
You can learn more about Kevin Moss at http://kevinmossphotography.com
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