I wanted to start off this blog by talking a little bit about creative exposure. There is always more than one correct exposure (which is a combination of aperture, shutter speed and ISO) but one creative exposure based on what you want to accomplish. Take a waterfall for instance. How many of us have seen a nice waterfall and snapped a photo with the camera in auto mode? The photo probably came out with the correct exposure, but the water was probably frozen. Not the best for a waterfall. To get the correct creative exposure for this scene, you need a slower shutter speed. That means a tripod. The longer the shutter is open, the more silky the water. But this can be overdone. I suggest you bracket your exposures (try different shutter speeds). Try between 1/2 second, 1 second and maybe even 2 seconds. If you are using digital, bracket, bracket and bracket. Also remember with a longer shutter speed, other things moving (due to the wind etc) will also be blurred. In the shot below, I used a shutter speed of 1 second. It was a windy day so I needed to cut out the bushes/trees as they would be blurred with this slow shutter speed. I also had a day that was bright with clouds rolling through so I waited for some cloud cover to cut down on the contrast (eliminates the harsh shadows). Another tip, I bring along a trash bag. Put it over your camera once you got you shot composed. Rip a small hole for the lens to fit through. This protects the camera from the mist. I used a shutter release to avoid camera shake. A couple of tips:
- Bracket your shots
- Use a polarizing filter (cuts glare and allows for a slower shutter speed)
- Use a tripod and a shutter release
- If you have ND filters bring them as you may need them to get a slow shutter speed
- Watch your composition. If it includes trees etc. that could blur during a long exposure, compose so they are not in the shot
- Try different compositions, both vertical and horizontal
- Cloudy days are generally better (depending on how much of the sky you want) or early morning, later in the afternoon
- I use a poor person's cover for my camera. A trash bag I put over the camera and rip a hole for the lens
- Don't forget a cloth to wipe mist from your lens (watch for smears)
- I bring tabi shoes (do a search) that have these spikes on the bottom. It allows me to walk on the slippery rocks without falling
Next time I will discuss alternative shot ideas. Stay tuned.
