Digital SLR Photography

THEEFFECTS OF SHUTTER SPEED COLOURCORRECTION1/60secWhenshutterspeedsaretoofastyou’llfreezefl owingwater,whichlooksclosertowhattheeyesees,butwithwaterfallsdoesn’tproduceapleasingimage.Fastershutterspeedsarebetterforstill-li feshotsofwaterdroplets.``````1/4secWithshutterspeedsbetween1/4secandasecond,youcanachie veanattractivelevelofblurwheretextureisstillpresentinthewater.UsingaoneortwostopNDfi lter,orapolariser,willhelpyoutoachievethis effect.``````4 minsUsinganextremeND,anddependingonlightlevels,exposurescanrangefromafewsecondsinbrightsunlighttoseveralminutesintheshade.Theresulthereiscompletel yblurredwaterwithno texturepresent.1USEATRIPODWhen shooting any longexposure, it’s best to use some kindofsupport, andfor very long exposures a sturdytripod is essential. Set up your tripod makingsure thefeet can’t slip toavoid any kindofmovement.You’ll also need aremotereleasetoavoid touching the camera whenreleasingthe shutter in Bulb mode. If using a weakerND or a polariser thenattach this now, but ifyou’re using an extreme ND then holdfi re.2COMPOSETHE SHOTTurn on LiveView andcover the viewfinder using the eyepiececover or your hand, before composing yourshot using theLCD screen. This willavoidlight leaks through the viewfinder, which cancreate dull spots on your image. Mirrorlessusers won’t need to do this. Find yourcomposition and lockoffthe tripod. Nowactivate the virtual horizon to make sure thecamera is level and you’re all set.3SELECTSETTINGSSet the camera toaperture-priority mode and choose anmid-to-narrow apertureatISO 100. If you’renot using an extreme ND then you can nowshoot away using aperture-priority mode.For extreme ND users, take a test shot,apply exposure compensation if necessary,and make a noteofthe exposure settings.Tr ansfer these over into manual mode, butset the shutter speed to Bulb.4MANUALLY FOCUSSwitch your lens to manualfocus and turn onLiveView.Zoom into the waterfall itself using the magnify controlson the backofthe camera. Nowrotate thefocusing ring on thelens until the image looks sharp on theLCD screen. With a waterfallthat’s close to the camera with nothing behind it, this method worksperfectly. Now turnoffLiveView andattach your extreme NDfi lter.``````ExtremeNDfi ltersnearl yalwaysadda colourcast.SettingWhiteBalancetoAuto canhelp,butyou’llalmostalwaysneedtotake controlin AdobeCameraRaworLightroom.SimplyusetheWhiteBalancesliderstobalancetheimagebydraggingtheTemperatureandTintcontrolsintheoppositedirectionofthecolouryouneed toremove.Alternativel y,ifther e’saknownneutralinyourscene,suchasawhite,greyorblackobjectyoucanusetheWhiteBalanceeyedroppertooltoclickonit tosettheWhiteBalancefromthatobject.5CALCULATE EXPOSUREMy test shot wasat1/8sec. Shutter speedsimply doublesfor each stop, sofor ten stops I counted1/4sec,1/2sec, one second, two seconds,four seconds, eight seconds, 15seconds, 30 seconds, one minute, two minutes.Two minutes was theperfect exposure. Use a watch or phone as a timer, andrelease theshutter with aremote, locking the shutter openfor the duration.36 Digital SLR PhotographyNove mber2016PH TOSKIL LS Waterfalls