Advice on Photographing Water

Water is a fantastic subject to photograph. You may think water is boring, but think again! Water is a very versatile subject. Below are tips and suggestions for photographing water.

1. Drive to the ocean. Sunrise and sunset photos are great when the ocean is in the foreground. Notice the different colors reflecting on the water. You can also photograph a full moon over the ocean.

2. Moving water, such as rivers or waterfalls, can be shot with a fast or slow shutter speed depending on the effect you want. Film is exposed to light for a short amount of time with a fast shutter speed. Film is exposed to light for a long amount of time with a slow shutter speed. To create a blurred effect, use a slow shutter speed, and to freeze the water in motion, use a fast shutter speed.

3. Look for reflections. How do your surroundings look in a puddle? Create abstract images using reflections. You will want to use an F-stop of 11 or higher to get the most detail (in focus).

4. If you are feeling adventurous, try underwater photography! It's not likely you own an underwater camera, so just buy a disposable one. Your next vacation to the ocean will be a lot more fun if you can photograph the fish.

5. Remember not to leave out rainbows, clouds, mist, and snow! If you are photographing snow, overexpose by one stop. For example, if your image is perfectly exposed at F8, move it to F5.6.

6. Polarizing filters can be fun. The water will look transparent because the filter actually eliminates the reflection. To eliminate the most reflection, stand above the water (maybe on a bridge).

The options never end when photographing water. There are a number of amazing images online, so get inspired and then go out and experiment.