Smooth Water and Shutter Speed

NeoMikel · Jul 15, 2006

How's it going guys?

Well, I've ran into a little problem. I know it's an easy answer, but I just need some help...

I was at some waterfalls and stuff, and I know I can leave the shutter open longer for smooth water and blurred effects... but the shutter (obviously) lets in more light as it is open. So I find myself leaving the shutter open and getting wayyy too much light for me to do anything with the picture. I know this is such a stupid question... but how do you guys do Smooth water/waterfall pictures? What are your settings in high-light areas?

Any tips are appreciated, thanks for putting up with me.

Unimaxium · Jul 15, 2006

When you make the shutter longer you have to make the aperture smaller, or lower the ISO. If that's not enough, then you'll need to use ND filters to let less light in.

Big Mike · Jul 15, 2006

As you leave the shutter open longer, you have to close down the aperture to compensate. When I shoot running water like this, I set the aperture to as small as I can (F22 or F29 etc.)

It helps to use slow film or set your ISO to the lowest setting (ISO 100).

If you still can't get a long enough shutter speed, without overexposing, then you need to use a Neutral Density filter. ND filters block light without making any other effects.

I was recently hiking by a small river and I wished that I had a ND filter because I also found that I couldn't get a slow enough shutter speed.

Another option is to just wait until there is less light...dawn/dusk etc.