Cliff Kolber from Kolber Photography.

Iguazu Falls, on the border of Argentina and Brazil, is one of the great waterfalls of the world, but make no mistake – the grandeur, the expanse and the beauty of Iguazu separates it from all the others. There are 275 falls stretched out two miles end-to-end, with the tallest falls cascading down almost 300 feet. As the falls flow through the jungle in explosive clouds of mist, the enormity and grace of Iguazu Falls staggers the mind.

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Although this article is about photography at Iguazu, most of the discussion applies to any waterfalls of the world. I only had two days at Iguazu, and wish I had one more. Three days would be ideal. In the two days though, we managed to walk trails, ride a jet boat into the falls and photograph the falls from a helicopter.

I shot with a Nikon D300 and carried three Nikon zoom lenses: 12-20mm, 24-120mm and 80-400mm. Since most of the shooting is done from a distance, the wide-angle lens did not get used much. Some of my favorite images were captured with the telephoto lens.


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Shooting from a helicopter adds a dimension that few people realize. The view is jaw-dropping. Miles of waterfalls stretch out in front of you with clouds of mist rising toward the helicopter. Be sure to ask for a window seat so you have a clear view, and choose your lens before boarding since you won’t have time to change lenses once aboard. I used the 24-120mm zoom lens. Bring just your camera; leave the camera bag and other gear in the car. When shooting from a helicopter, stay relaxed and remain aware of your camera settings. It is easy to become excited about the view and forget camera basics. If the window is closed hold the camera against the pane unless there is too much vibration. The landscape moves quickly and you don’t get a second chance for a shot. So set your exposure ahead of time, preferably in manual mode, and keep your eye to the viewfinder. Then all you’ll need to do is breath easy, compose and shoot.

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Shoot hand held at Iguazu. This is not a place for a tripod. The trails can be crowded, wet and slippery. Brace yourself and your camera against a tree, a fence railing or something solid. If possible, sit on the ground and brace the camera against your knees. Bring shower caps and ponchos to protect the camera from rain or spray, and a bandana to dry your gear.

For different effects, shoot at different speeds. For images with the feeling of power and force, waterfalls should be shot at faster speeds, at least 1/125 or faster. For a delicate, silky look (“cotton candy” effect) shoot at 1/8 sec or slower. With a slower speed, you’ll close down the aperture, possibly to f/18 or f/20, to achieve the correct exposure. You might have to adjust the ISO to its lowest speed. This is the same as reducing the amount of light hitting the sensor. You can also use a neutral density filter (or polarizer, in emergency) to reduce the amount of light even more.

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Isolate scenes; don’t just shoot the entire falls. Zoom in and focus on a smaller area. You can capture and express a scene just as effectively, or better, by isolating smaller portions of the falls. If your scene includes sky, keep just a small sliver of the sky in your image unless the clouds are exceptional. Too much sky on a clear day can be distracting from an otherwise outstanding image.

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Iguazu Falls is an incredible experience. If you get the opportunity to visit be sure to come home with some exceptional images.

About the Author: Cliff Kolber is a nature and travel photographer and writer based in Miami, Florida. He and his wife Doris have created a spectacular portfolio of images and articles from around the world, specializing in the Florida Everglades, the American Southwest and Antarctica. Learn more about Cliff at www.kolberphotography.com.

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