Water photography
The main aspects of water photography are
Lighting:
Golden Hour: Shoot in the first hours after sunrise and the last hours before sunset. The soft, warm light creates beautiful reflections on the water.
Overcast: Overcast days provide even lighting without harsh shadows, which is ideal for capturing the details and textures of the water.
Equipment:
Camera: Any camera with manual settings is suitable, but DSLR and mirrorless cameras are preferred because of their flexibility.
Lenses: Wide angle lenses to capture landscape, macro lenses to capture water details, telephoto lenses to capture distant objects.
Ripod: Mandatory for long shutter speeds and stable shots.
Camera settings:
Long Shutter Speed: Use slow shutter speeds (2-30 seconds) to create silky water or motion blur effects.
Short Shutter Speed: Use short shutter speeds (1/500 or shorter) to freeze the movement of the water.
Polarizing filter: Reduces glare and reflections, improving colors and contrast.
Reflections:
Calm Water: Perfect for creating mirror-like reflections of landscape, buildings or people.
Puddles: Use puddles to shoot reflections in urban settings, adding interest and depth to the shot.
Water Dynamics:
Waterfalls and rivers: Use a slow shutter speed to create a silky water effect that emphasizes movement.
Sea and Ocean: Shoot waves and surf with a short shutter speed to freeze the movement of the water and create a dramatic effect.
Underwater photography:
Underwater cameras: Use waterproof cameras or special boxes for underwater photography.
Light and colors: Water absorbs light and colors, so use external light sources or shooting in shallow water to improve image quality.
Composition:
Leading the eye: Use shorelines, rivers or piers to lead the viewer's eye to the main subject.
Rule of thirds: Place key compositional elements along lines of thirds to create balanced and interesting shots.
