Select the right exposure time
When shooting moving water it’s important to set the
correct exposure time for the speed of the water. This is
best achieved using ND fi lters, rather than increasing
your ISO or compromising your aperture setting. There
are no rules – experiment to see which exposure time
provides the best results. It’s worth taking multiple shots,
as each one will show a different pattern of water movement.
Search for spinning
foam along rivers
Beneath waterfalls and along
fast-fl owing rivers it is often
possible to fi nd foam or fallen
leaves that have become
trapped in a small pool or bay.
The water movement often
causes them to spin slowly. Use
an ND fi lter to increase your
exposure time to between 8 and
30 seconds to use this circular
motion to add interest to the
foreground of your river images.Shoot refl ections
Calm, high-pressure weather
conditions can result in beautiful
refl ections on lakes and slow-
moving rivers. This occurs most
often around dawn and dusk.
Look for symmetry in your
composition and don’t be afraid to
place the horizon in the centre of
it. Take care if using a polarising
fi lter as it can reduce the impact
of the refl ection.Use water movement to
create leading lines
A long exposure can be used to create
leading lines in fast-fl owing rivers and as
the water draws back down a sandy
beach. Shutter speeds of between 1/8sec
and 4sec tend to work best, depending
upon the speed of the moving water.
When working on a beach make your
exposure as a wave begins to recede
down the beach for the best effect.