My first attempt at "Slow" water (repost)

[lewerim]

Due to lack of attention, my last try at this included an image that was too big. Here goes again.

This was my first attempt at "Creamy" water. I don't know alot about the technique and was wonder what folks think of the shot.

This was handheld and I think I was at my limits for holding a camera still during an exposure. So, I feel like maybe the whole thing is slightly out of focus.

The only filter I currently own is a UV (which was on the camera,) will a Neutral Density filter allow me to use a similar aperture with a longer exposure?

My main questions are:

How is the composition?
Are my self-crits valid? (Slightly soft focus, longer exposure will increase "creamyness" of the water)

I'm interested in improving, so feel free to give honest crits and comments...

Camera:	Sony DSLR-A200
Exposure:	0.125 sec (1/8)
Aperture:	f/25.0
Focal Length:	20 mm
ISO Speed:	400
Exposure Bias:	-0.7 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire

Software:	DSLR-A200 v1.00
Date and Time (Modified):	2009:10:09 14:50:47
Date and Time (Original):	2009:10:09 14:50:47
Brightness Value:	4.75
Max Aperture Value:	4.0
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
Light Source:	Cloudy
Color Space:	sRGB
Custom Rendered:	Normal
Exposure Mode:	Auto
White Balance:	Manual
Focal Length In35mm Format:	30 mm
White Balance:	Cloudy
Color Temperature:	Auto
Image Stabilization:	On
Lens Type:	Minolta/Sony AF DT 18-70mm F3.5-5.6 (D)

[dakwegmo]

For a handheld shot this is quite good. Yes you're correct about the focus and the "creamy" water effect. You need at least ½ second exposure to really smooth out the water. In order to do that you'll need a tripod, or at the very least something solid to set your camera on (a fence rail, a tree stump, a rock, or even the ground). Also, the sky is completely blown out. To prevent this you can either compose the shot so the sky isn't in it, or you'll need a filter to control the exposure of the sky. A Neutral Density or a neutral gradient would have worked for this shot.

You asked about composition, and while it's not awful, it's not great either. First the top of the most prominent waterfall is pretty much dead center. Not always bad, but I don't think it works here, especially since the water at the bottom of the falls flows right out of the frame. Personally I would have moved the shot down, so the top of the frame was below the level of the sky, and included more of the catch pool at the base of the falls. That would have made for a much clearer visual path through the image (assuming there wasn't any huge distractions around the pool). Something else to consider would be shooting this with a vertical (i.e. portrait orientation) to eliminate some of the rocks on either side of the falls that don't add much to the shot.

One other thing. I noticed you were shooting at ISO 400. To eke a few more stops out of the shutter speed, I'd lower this to whatever the lowest setting is on your camera. But there again, you'd need to steady the camera to keep everything but the water sharp.

All in all, I think it's a pretty good first attempt at at the smooth water effect.

[AgBeard]

I agree with what Marcus has to say re the composition issues - you really are going to have to use a tripod to take these kind of pictures. The take a whole range with differing shutter speeds - I find that it is often difficult to predict was will produce the 'keeper'.

[lewerim]

Thanks for the comments. This shot was taken during a family outing (two daughters 19 mo and 3mo, Mom, Grandparents, and Aunt and Uncle) so I didn't get near as much time to "play" as I would have liked. So, no tripod (and not as much thinking about setup as I could have taken.)

Given that it was a "bright" overcast day (does that make sense) I really struggled with the sky (you can see more at my album from that day if you like. Quite a few "not great" shots there though, so enter at your own risk.)

Can you recommend a resource that talks about filters and when/how to use them. There are a ton on the web, just wondering if anyone has a favorite.

I tried a couple different crops with the shot. I came up with a good "No Sky" and a decent vertical image. After reading the rules, I'm not sure if it's alright to post more images to this thread so here is a link to a set that conatins all three. Man, that lens flare bothers me even more in the Vertical crop.

Thanks again for the critique.

[thomasfolkeandersen]

This is a good first attempt at slow water considering you were WITHOUT tripod and WITH family!

To do these shots optimally, yes, you need to have a (or bring a) tripod and to really explore compositions, leave the family at home so you have time and solitude to connect with the location. I also find myself a little stressed if the family is along as they will rarely be as patient as you.

The location looks nice and in the weather you were shooting in I would suggest to leave the sky out as you also mention yourself and then zoom in closer to isolate the waterfall and surroundings. I can see several images within the image.

It's also a good point about your ISO settings. The lower your ISO setting the longer your exposure, so effectively you could have slowed your shutter speed down two stops if your camera can shoot ISO 100 (400 --> 200 = 1 stop and 200 --> 100 1 stop) which would have given you even more 'misty' or 'creamy' look.

The look you want is often personal taste. Some like very 'misty' looks and some like to still be able to see a bit of 'action' in the mist.

The shutter speed you will need will also depend on how fast the water is running/falling. The faster it is running/falling the more it will blur.

Neutral density filters can help you slow down shutter speeds even more.

If you can justify spending the money then Singh Ray Vario ND is an excellent choice (albeit quite an expensive one) but it's also the ONLY ND filter you will need as you can vary it. Just get the largest diameter fitler size for your biggest lens and then use step-rings for smaller diameter lenses. I wish I had known about this filter before I went out and got ND filters in all sorts of filter sizes.

Cheers...