Am I on the right track for foamy water

[Lori Hill]

I know it isn't a great shot, but am I on the right track trying to get the dreamy effect of running water?


Exif data
Camera Nikon D7000
Exposure 0.4
Aperture f/11.0
Focal Length 50 mm
Focal Length 50.4 mm
ISO Speed 100

[RichardTaylor]

The answer is yes. Just experiment with different shutter speeds to get the effect you want.

[dakwegmo]

I think you're getting there, but still have some work ahead. The biggest issue I see with this shot is that there's some motion blur in the rocks and grass. For shots like this it's imperative that while you capture the motion of the water, that you freeze everything surrounding the water. Did you use your tripod for this?

The effect of the water looks good. The water looks like it was moving fairly slowly, so a longer shutter speed would smooth it even more.

[smitheyes]

I think the water looks the part if the rocks and grass were in focus would have been a good shot

[Krusty79]

I think you're getting there, but still need a slower shutter speed. Like dakwegmo said, you'll need a tripod. You can use a polarizer to reduce light to help you get a slower shutter speed, but the folks who are serious about this get a neutral density filter, like a 6/8/10 stop.

[Lori Hill]

thanks for the responses,
I don't have a polarizing filter right now and did not have my tri-pod with me. Maybe I'll go back today with it and slow the shutter down some more.

[SwissJon]

Hi.

Ok To get the effect you're after you'll need to fix the camera so it is still, and open the shutter for much longer. I've the same camera as you, and I find that 5 seconds is the minimum you can hold it open for to completely eliminate the movement in the water and end up with a silky feeling. This is NOT something you can do while hand holding your camera, you need to completely eliminate camera shake.

With the light that you had and with an aperture of f/22 you might have got about 1.6 seconds. This may have given you something of what you're looking for, but certainly not somethign you could have done without a decent tripod.

I generally use a B&W 6 stop filter, that would then have allowed me to have had an exposure of 10 seconds or more, depending on the aperture I chose. In addition to using the tripod, switch the outer dial on the top left of the camera to MUp. This will eliminate shaking from the mirror by lifting the mirror prior to opening the shutter. You would be well advised to get a remote shutter release, but the MUp mode releases the shutter automatically after 30 seconds anyway, so you should be ok without, so long as you're patient. Patience is a necessary thing with this kind of photo anyway.

[Lori Hill]

thanks
I don't know what a B&W filter is but I will find out. I will also definitely make sure I have my tripod next time I try this, was just randomly out yesterday with a friend so I didn't have it with me. I'll try the Mup up as well. I only have the 18 - 105 kit lens will that be alright to get the effect?

[janakkpandya]

As I learn on dps that don't think that your taken shot is not the great one as every shot you take is a learning. So do I (thanks to dps and dps members).

Nice shot. TFS.

[SwissJon]

Originally Posted by Lori Hill

thanks
I don't know what a B&W filter is but I will find out. I will also definitely make sure I have my tripod next time I try this, was just randomly out yesterday with a friend so I didn't have it with me. I'll try the Mup up as well. I only have the 18 - 105 kit lens will that be alright to get the effect?

B&W is the brand name.

b w 106 | eBay UK

If you're going to buy one, get the ones from Germany as that's where B&W are based, I don't trust the ones from Hong Kong.

You have a really good camera there, and the lens you have is more than capable of creating this effect you're after.

I suggest, if you don't have any filters and you're only going to buy one, that the first filter you buy is a polorising filter, it's far more useful than the ND6 for general photography. It should give you a one stop reduction in this circumstance, which will gie you at most 3 seconds, however it's very useful for putting detail in clouds, reducing glare and reflections, and generally increasing colour saturation in a photograph. The ND6 just reduces the shutter speed by 6 stops (i.e. if you would normally have a 0.4 second exposure, the ND6 will give you a 30second exposure.)