How to: Pro Tips For Photographing Moving Water

From slow-moving and tranquil creek beds to fast and raging waterfalls, there is an incredible variety of opportunities when setting out to photograph moving water. However, effectively conveying this movement in an image and communicating the same feeling you get from seeing it in person can be tricky.

Thankfully, there aren’t many settings you need to mess with or any difficult techniques you need to master. If you want to capture beautiful shots of waterfalls, rivers, seas, oceans, fountains, and other bodies of water that you’ve ventured out to see, check out these tips below.

TIP 1: Use a slow shutter speed

The human eye sees the world at roughly 1/60th of a second in terms of shutter speed, but you’ll need to slow it down if you want to capture a blurrier image that conveys the speed at which the water is moving. That’s right – in this case, blur is good! Shooting at a slower shutter speed, like 1 second, will make the water appear more like a silky blur that’s smoothly and continuously flowing. The slower the shutter speed, the smoother the water will appear in your image.

TIP 2: Shoot on cloudy days

While you may be tempted to try and get most of your shots during golden hour when there is the best natural light, we’d recommend waiting to shoot in cloudier conditions. This is because the lighting conditions will be more even throughout the scene. Shooting on cloudy days will also help you avoid dealing with reflections and glare in the water, but we’d still recommend using a high-quality circular polarizer to reduce these things from ruining your image. The circular polarizer should also increase contrast and saturation.

TIP 3: Concentrate on composition

We can’t adjust our eyes like we can adjust the shutter speed on a camera, so to get a good idea of what a shot would look like with smooth and silky water, squint your eyes. In addition to doing this before taking a shot, we also recommend looking for spots where the water curves into a “C” or “S” shape to give your image more of a flowing visual that better communicates movement.

Conclusion

Capturing the mesmerizing motion of water, whether it’s a calm creek or a powerful waterfall, can transform your photography and transport viewers to the very scene you experienced. By applying the tips shared above, you can convey the fluidity, energy, and beauty of moving water in your images. So, next time you’re out by the water, take these tips with you, and let your creativity flow as freely as the water you photograph.

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