BetterPhoto.com
EMAIL: PASSWORD:
remember me:     


BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: New Questions

To participate in the Forum, become a BetterPhoto member or Sign In.

 
Photography Question 
Rachel Scott-Renouf
BetterPhoto Member
Contact Rachel
Rachel's Gallery

member since: 4/20/2005 		 

Waterfall - Flowing-Water Effect


I was wondering if someone can help me. I have a Nikon 8700 and would like to try taking a pic of moving water, and getting that flowing effect. I haven't actually used my camera on manual mode before ... so what shutter speed, etc., would be best?

10/23/2005 3:45:18 PM

 
Sharon  Day
BetterPhoto Member
Contact Sharon
Sharon 's Gallery

member since: 6/27/2004 		  A one-second shutter speed will get you nice veiling. You can shoot at shutter speeds faster than that as well. I've gotten nice effects at 1/15th of a sec. Without a ND filter, you'll need to shoot on a cloudy day. Good luck.

10/23/2005 3:48:32 PM

 
Rachel Scott-Renouf
BetterPhoto Member
Contact Rachel
Rachel's Gallery

member since: 4/20/2005 		  Thank you Sharon, I will try that :o)

10/23/2005 3:54:30 PM

 
Brendan Knell
BetterPhoto Member

member since: 4/17/2005 		  Also, it depends on how fast the water is moving, and how much veiling you want. One second is a good starting point, but then try going longer and shorter. It just takes a lot of experimenting, because every waterfall is different.

10/23/2005 6:48:35 PM

 
Craig m. Zacarelli
BetterPhoto Member

member since: 2/3/2005 		  And don't forget to use a tripod. You'll need it at those speeds! The shots I took in my gallery I believe were one - two seconds ... no tripod, I used the Canon lens with Image Stabilization and rested the camera on a bench and a stone wall.

10/24/2005 9:37:46 AM

 
Rachel Scott-Renouf
BetterPhoto Member
Contact Rachel
Rachel's Gallery

member since: 4/20/2005 		  Well, thanks guys! All I need now is a waterfall :o) I tried the hose pipe over some stones out of desperation today. I think I am going to need a lot of practice!

10/24/2005 9:56:45 AM

 
Craig m. Zacarelli
BetterPhoto Member

member since: 2/3/2005 		  The kitchen faucet works well. Run water into a tall vase from the faucet and let it run out, over the side. Really crank up the flow so it gets kinda foamy. This way you'll be able to see the water, and when you slow it down, it should look all silky and dreamy-like.

10/24/2005 10:13:34 AM

 
Brian A. Wolter
BetterPhoto Member

member since: 2/15/2005 		  You will definitely need a tripod, and use a neutral density filter or a circular polarizer filter to get the slower shutter speeds. You can try starting out at about 1/15th of a sec and slower from there till you get the effect you want. Also be sure to set your f-stop to the highest setting ex. f22

10/24/2005 10:28:34 AM

 
Jay A. Grantham
BetterPhoto Member

member since: 7/21/2005 		 
 
  Swirl
Swirl
1/4s f/3.1 ISO 64
© Jay A. Grantham
Olympus Stylus 500... 		 
 
I tried too one day when I was bored... well curious, anyway.

10/24/2005 11:26:00 AM

 
John L. Webb

member since: 2/20/2004 		 
 
 
Rachael you ahve gotten excellent advice from everyone here. I would suggest that you do a search for books and pamphlets that may outline some hidden gems in your particular area that are largely unknown. That has become a relaxing hobby for my wife and I when we are not working a wedding. You may find falls "in your back yard" that end up being true gems.
Good Luck!

10/25/2005 6:06:59 AM

 
John L. Webb

member since: 2/20/2004 		 
 
  Falls on Bad Branch
Falls on Bad Branch
© John L. Webb
Leica MP Rangefind... 		 
 
Rachael you ahve gotten excellent advice from everyone here. I would suggest that you do a search for books and pamphlets that may outline some hidden gems in your particular area that are largely unknown. That has become a relaxing hobby for my wife and I when we are not working a wedding. You may find falls "in your back yard" that end up being true gems.
Good Luck!

10/25/2005 6:11:16 AM

 
Allen M. Aisenstein
BetterPhoto Member

member since: 3/3/2005 		 
 
 
Waterfalls are one of my favorite subjects. The best shots require a slow shutter speed to get that soft cotton-like appearance. To get this effect you can use a low ISO, small aperture, and the addition of a neutral-density or polarizer filter if there is still too much light. The slower the water movement, the slower the shutter speed should be.

10/25/2005 7:57:18 AM

 
Allen M. Aisenstein
BetterPhoto Member

member since: 3/3/2005 		 
 
 
Waterfalls are one of my favorite subjects. The best shots require a slow shutter speed to get that soft cotton-like appearance. To get this effect you can use a low ISO, small aperture, and the addition of a neutral-density or polarizer filter if there is still too much light. The slower the water movement, the slower the shutter speed should be.

10/25/2005 8:00:56 AM

 
Rachel Scott-Renouf
BetterPhoto Member
Contact Rachel
Rachel's Gallery

member since: 4/20/2005 		  Thank you everyone, I will give it a go this weekend !
Just another quick question, does anyone know the best place to get a nikon ND filter, preferably in the UK?

10/25/2005 9:16:12 AM

 
Rachel Scott-Renouf
BetterPhoto Member
Contact Rachel
Rachel's Gallery

member since: 4/20/2005 		  in fact does anyone know any website that will ship an ND filter to the UK? I am having great trouble finding one :o(

10/25/2005 10:00:17 AM

 
John L. Webb

member since: 2/20/2004 		  I have bought from a place in the UK..I want to say it was called Harry's, when US supplies were not to be found, but it has been so long I can not even be sure of the name,,

10/25/2005 10:08:57 AM

 
Srividya Narasimhan
BetterPhoto Member

member since: 11/13/2004 		  how does using a Polarising or a ND filter help you work with a higher shutter speed?

10/25/2005 12:14:09 PM

 
Dan Fogelberg
BetterPhoto Member

member since: 1/24/2005 		 
 
 
This subject came up recently in another Q&A Forum, and that very helpful discussion is still available to view: http://www.betterphoto.com/forms/qnaDetail.asp?threadID=17567 I've done this many times with waterfalls and mountain streams, and you can get nice results at 1/8, 1/4 or slower. Slow film (lower ISO for digital), cloudy or shady light, filters—they're all good, and you may need to use them all. Really long exposures (minutes, not seconds) can turn subjects like roiling ocean waves into something that looks more like fog, but you'll need really dim light such as you'll find after sunset. Distant subjects have less apparent movement than close ones, so bracket your exposures to get the best results—the same shutter speed can give varying results. I have a Coolpix 5700, which is an earlier version of your camera. I think it has similar controls, though, so try this: set up a user mode in advance. Push the Menu button to access the menu, right arrow at "user setting," then down arrow to one of the numbers (I have 3, you may have more.) Right arrow to select a mode. Then you can down arrow through the menu options to select white balance, metering method, etc. Once you've selected your settings, hit the Menu button again to exit the menu. If you don't see info displayed over the viewfinder image, push the "disp" button. In the upper left corner, you should see the user mode number. Now you have more flexibility to make other changes, such as: while holding down the mode button (up next to shutter release), rotate the command dial. You'll see the letter in the lower left of the display change. You want to see the "S" for shutter priority metering. Let go of the mode button and rotate the command dial as you frame your subject, and you will be able to select the shutter speed you want. The camera will find the corresponding f-stop for the correct exposure. If you overdo it, the shutter speed will blink to remind you to select another setting. That's where all the above tricks (filters, ISO, etc.) come in. By the way, Nikon's filters are ridiculously expensive. I bought a simple accessory from NextPhoto that allows me to use all my 52mm filters from my old camera system. It uses a rubber O-ring that fits snugly into the threads on your lens, and can be purchased in several sizes to fit different filter sizes. (I think this will work with your lens, too) If you already have filters, you'll save tons of money, and even if you have to buy a threaded filter and the adapter, it's still much cheaper than the proprietary Nikon filters. Get a cheap generic lens cap and tether, and you're all set. Good luck! (If you want to see several examples of these techniques, see the above Q&A answer threads, my gallery or the galleries of others who answered this thread.)

10/25/2005 2:43:38 PM

 
Rachel Scott-Renouf
BetterPhoto Member
Contact Rachel
Rachel's Gallery

member since: 4/20/2005 		  Dan,
Thank you so much for this info! I have been searching the net for filters for 2 days now and no one will ship them to me here in the channel islands, but im going to look on Nextphoto in a min! I had just about given up ever getting a ND filter until I read your reply :o) I even ended up trying to use the blur tool in photoshop to get the effect I wanted today ;o)and here it is http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/dynoGallDetail.asp?photoID=1377912

Thanks again Dan!!!!


10/26/2005 2:19:29 PM

 
Rachel Scott-Renouf
BetterPhoto Member
Contact Rachel
Rachel's Gallery

member since: 4/20/2005 		 
 
 
.

10/26/2005 2:26:23 PM

 
Rachel Scott-Renouf
BetterPhoto Member
Contact Rachel
Rachel's Gallery

member since: 4/20/2005 		 
 
  FLowing water made in photoshop!
FLowing water made in photoshop!
pic was taken last year with my old camera
© Rachel Scott-Renouf
Olympus Camedia C-... 		 
 
.

10/26/2005 2:26:42 PM

 

To participate in the Forum, become a BetterPhoto member or Sign In.
 

Home | Self-Paced Courses | Interactive Courses | Membership | Sitemap | About | Help | Contact   

Copyright © 1996-2013 BetterPhoto.com, Inc.® All Rights Reserved.