Night Photography Class

Long exposures of moving water can be beautiful and mysterious. They’re also very easy to create. The best times to capture the movement of flowing water are in the late afternoon and early evening because the light levels are low enough to allow you to use the longer shutter speeds required to get that silky, blurred look. At the same time there’s still plenty of ambient light present to illuminate the rest of the scene.

Turbulent or swiftly moving water doesn’t require very long shutter speeds to create motion blur. Speeds as fast as 1/4 or even 1/10 second can be used to great effect and are easily attainable with a small aperture even when the light levels are still relatively high, like late afternoon. Longer exposures consisting of several seconds or minutes tend to produce the most noticeable effects but may or may not create the look you’re trying to achieve.

Different shutter speeds will create a variety of different looks so it’s best to experiment. Try shooting the same scene at one second, two seconds, etc. and see what variations you get. You’ll usually find one that you like more than the others.

You can use shutter priority mode to easily set the shutter speed to your liking but you’ll probably have to wait until dusk if you want to create a really long exposure. If you want use a shutter speed that’s longer than the available light will allow, you can use a neutral density filter which will decrease the amount of light entering the lens and allow you to leave the shutter open longer.

The photo samples below will give you an idea of the effect that various shutter speeds have when capturing moving water.

This photo was taken with a shutter speed of 1/200 second which effectively froze the movement of the water.

At 1/4 second, the water is much smoother and the motion becomes more evident.

As the exposure time increases, the water becomes softer and the individual lines of current blend together. This is a one second exposure.

At four seconds, the turbulence begins takes on a misty appearance.

At 20 seconds, the water is so smooth it looks like ice and the turbulent rapids look almost like smoke.

The image above is an example of what can be done in the late afternoon. I was able to obtain a 1/4 second shutter speed by using an aperture of f/10 at ISO 100. I could have used a smaller aperture to lengthen the shutter speed even further and create a “smoother” look but I think the defined lines of movement work well in this scene and add a dramatic touch.

Another important element of this image is the location of the camera. It was set up on a tripod that was placed right in the middle of the stream. This created a unique sense of perspective and is a good way to add more interest to your own images. Of course, you’ll need to use a sturdy metal tripod or your camera is likely to end up downstream somewhere. You may want to find an old used one just for this purpose.

On the more serene end of the scale is the image below. The peaceful serenity of this scene is enhanced by the smooth calmness of the water.  It was captured at dusk with a 20 second shutter speed at f/13 and ISO 100. I did a little bit of light painting with a flashlight on the rocks and the three trees in the background during the exposure. Please reference the post on Painting with Light for more information about this technique.

I prefer to photograph moving water in the evening but before it’s completely dark so there’s some ambient light to illuminate the rest of the scene. This is particularly important if you’re in a rural area and there aren’t any other lights around. However, there’s no set rule about this and there are times when shooting after dark can be advantageous. As always, you should experiment in different lighting conditions to find the look you like the most.

This 30 second exposure would be quite boring if it weren’t for the lights of a chemical plant reflecting off of the low-hanging clouds in the distance. It was taken just before complete darkness and you can see a little bit of blue sky behind the clouds. There were waves crashing onto the shore but they’re not evident due to the long exposure and low amount of ambient light present.

Written by Andy Heatwole on October 18, 2009 under Moving Water.

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