How to Photograph Waterfalls

Waterfalls provide a dramatic subject matter for photographers. They add motion and beauty to a photo. Many people consider waterfalls too hard to photograph because of all of the movement of the water and tricky lighting. If photographed correctly, waterfalls can be a masterful and amazing subject for your photos.

Things You'll Need

• Camera

Instructions

1. Take a reference shot. Put your camera into its auto mode. Make sure the flash is off. The camera will automatically choose an exposure that freezes the water. You can compare this picture with others later as a basis for the exposure.

2. Change your shutter speed. Go to the menu screen on your camera and choose the shutter speed option. Experiment with the speeds to find the best one for the flow of the water.

3. Choose the time of day to photograph the waterfall. Normally, sunset and sunrise are very good for exposure. Overcast days with a lot of clouds are very good as well.

4. Take a wide array pictures. Try to use different angles, shutter speeds and camera settings. Take wide shots and close ups. You can have 40 pictures of one waterfall and none of the photos have to look the same.

Tips & Warnings

• Water will blur on occasion. Don't get angry or frustrated; just try a faster shutter speed.

• Tripods are normally hard to set up and may not be practical in some situations.