Take the guesswork out of what works when photographing a waterfall. Waterfalls make for pretty pictures but are challenging for two reasons. One, you have to take into account the cascading motion of the water. Two, waterfalls reflect a large amount of light. Read more if you want your waterfall pictures to rock instead of blob.
Choose the time of the day to photograph waterfalls
Waterfalls are white and bright subjects. Take pictures when the natural lighting is low. This could be either during dawn or dusk when the amount of sunlight is low. Photographing a waterfall on a cloudy day is another option. Choose the time of the day to avoid the harsh light reflection that waterfalls bounce back to the camera on a sunny day. Below is a picture of a waterfall taken in broad daylight. Notice how overtly bright it is.
Portrait mode or landscape mode
Take a moment to decide on the composition of your photograph. Do you want to render a vertical picture (the portrait mode) or do you want to render a horizontal view (the landscape mode)? If the first thing you notice about a waterfall is its awe-inspiring height, then choose the portrait mode to emphasize the length of the waterfall. But if the waterfall length is short, then choose the landscape mode. Use the landscape mode to capture the natural settings within which the waterfall is embedded. Landscape mode also works well if your waterfall is sparse.
Use low ISO
Waterfalls reflect a lot of light, which is why you should use a low ISO. For photographing a waterfall subject, the general rule of thumb is the lower the ISO, the better. An ISO setting that is 400 or below is a good place to start. If the waterfall is buried under dense forest foliage, then start with an initial ISO setting of 400. If the waterfall is under the direct gaze of the sun, then use an even lower ISO setting of 100.
Use longer shutter speeds
Use a long shutter speed, to blur the motion of the water. This will also smoothen the appearance of the flowing water. Instead of a bunch of pellets, the water will look like a gossamer gown. Slide the slider below to see the difference. The image to the left was taken at a relatively faster shutter speed than the image to the right which was shot with a shutter speed of 1/5 seconds. Albeit these pictures were taken without a tripod, a tripod will allow you to prolong the shutter speeds and yield pictures that are softer.
Use a neutral density filter to reduce light
A neutral density filter is a device you fit on top of your lens to lower the amount of light that enters the lens. If you are out on a sunny day, you can use the ND filter, to reduce the intensity of exposure and still take sharp photographs, instead of splotchy ones.
The tips provided above are placed in order of the amount of photography equipment you prefer to carry around. So, if you only want to use your smartphone, use the first two tips. If you have a DSLR or if you have a smartphone app, then use the first four tips. Invest in the tripod and the neutral density filter, if you want to have more flexibility and control for your next waterfall photography excursion.
