DIY Network

Photographing Water In Motion: Shutter Speed Capturing Freeze Frame or the Blur of Motion From "The Whole Picture" episode DTWP-110

	Some of Erin Manning's own photos capturing the beauty of water in motion.

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For many photographers, one very fascinating challenge is taking pictures of water in motion. Whether it's shooting to capture the dynamics of water in blurred motion or freezing water-droplets in mid-air, water itself can be a fascinating and multifaceted photographic subject.

How do you capture the beauty of water in motion? Professional photographer Erin Manning shows how. The first part of the lesson focuses on how different shutter speeds can produce radically different effects when photographing water--from "frozen in time" to utterly ethereal. Erin then gives pointers about composition and experimenting with various angles. She also talks about a couple of lens filters you can use to vary and enhance your results when photographing water. Finally, in the "digital darkroom," she shows how to create even more motion blur using photo-editing software.

Materials

Digital camera
Camera owner's manual
Tripod
Polarizing filter
Neutral density filter

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	Figure A
	Figure B

Shutter Speed

Not knowing how the shutter speed (i.e., the length of time the camera shutter stays open to create the exposure) will invariably lead to mixed results and problems such as over-exposure (figure A) . Learning the relationship of shutter speed to capturing the motion of water is the key to getting compelling and visually interesting shots. Here are some of Erin's tips on how shutter speed plays a role in your photographs of water in motion.

• When using your tripod to take slow shutter-speed photos, make sure the tripod is secure. Even though tripods are steadier than humans, wind and people walking nearby can cause the camera to shake. That will greatly affect the pictures you take at slower shutter speeds.

• There are a couple of tricks you can use to make sure your tripod is steady: try hanging your camera bag off the tripod for added weight. Also, avoid raising the center column (figure B), as the added height seriously increases the risk of camera shake.
  

  Figure C

• If you extend the legs on the tripod out to their maximum reach, the tripod could become wobbly. Avoid extending the legs out as far as they'll go.

• Play around with your shutter speeds (figure C). It's fun to experiment and find which speed gives you the effect you had in mind.

• Remember, the slower the shutter speed you select, the more blurring will occur.
  

  	Using a faster shutter speed (1/250 or higher) will "freeze the water in time."
  	Using a slower shutter speed (1/30 or slower) will cause the water to appear more blurred.

• For most models, you can change the shutter speed on your camera by going into the manual mode. A slower shutter speed typically refers to one that's 1/30th of a second or slower.

• Faster shutter speeds are considered to be above 1/200th of a second. The faster the shutter speed, the better chance that you can capture that action of water freezing mid-air.

• Check your owner's manual to see how to change the shutter speed on your particular camera. Control of the shutter makes it possible to capture professional looking pictures of water in motion that really stand out.

RESOURCES :

PC Photo magazine
Website: www.pcphotomag.com
Online version of the magazine devoted to digital photography and related technologies.

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Model: 002864235X
Author: Steven Greenberg
Order this book from Amazon.com.
Prentice Hall
Paramus, NJ 07652

Digital Photography For Dummies
Model: 0764506463
Author: Julie Adair King
Order this book from Amazon.com.
Hungry Minds, Inc.

Complete Digital Photography
Model: 1584500077
Author: Ben Long
Order this book from Amazon.com.
Charles River Media
Website: www.charlesriver.com/