Did you know that you can control the shape of flowing water in photos through effective exposure time?

Different shutter speeds produce different effects on the water surface. Today I will introduce to you: how to set the shutter speed if you want to take pictures such as brushed, mirrored, and water mist.

Generally speaking, when taking photos of the water surface with a slow shutter speed, the shutter speed should be set between 1/10s and 30s, or greater than or equal to 30s.

The slow door records the movement trajectory of an object within a period of time. Depending on the seawater retrieval speed, it is generally set at 2S to produce a drawing effect.

The biggest feature of slow shutter speed is the softness of the picture. In the inland sea where the sea water is not turbulent, using a shutter speed of 30s can produce a mirror-like soft light effect of the same color in the sky and the glow on the water surface.

However, to obtain this creamy and silky water mist effect, a shutter speed longer than 30 seconds is required, and a tripod and a shutter cable must be used when shooting.

Why do you pay so much attention to shutter settings when taking water photos?

Just reading the parameters of the photo can easily be misleading. The shutter speed setting is determined by the shooting time and environment: 60 minutes before sunset, 30 minutes before sunset, when it is approaching, and different scenes. Combined with water movement, these times and environments will affect the shooting results. So, understanding what causes the effect will help you determine how to set the best shutter speed.

Comparative analysis of the three effects of brushed, mirror, and water mist:

1. Brushed

When seawater is retracing or rushing forward, control the shutter speed at 1 Drawing will form between /10s-2s.

Usually choose to use rocks, ice, and branches on the beach to make the drawing effect more obvious.

When taking pictures, you must master the timing of pressing the shutter, otherwise you will only be able to take very rigid waves.

However, if you want to take pictures of water without rock obstructions (such as rivers) with a brushed effect, you need a slower shutter speed.

2. Mirror surface

In lakes or inland seas where seawater surges are not large, using a shutter speed of more than 10 seconds can blur the water surface and clouds, allowing the two to complement each other.

Depending on the brightness of the sky, when the water surface is calm and the sky is darker, you can use a shutter speed of more than 30 seconds, which can not only ensure the image quality, but also capture the softness of the clouds.

To achieve such a clear and thorough underwater effect, just reducing the shutter speed is not enough. You also need to use a polarizer to eliminate the reflection on the water surface.

Sometimes it is to express flowing clouds, to reduce post-production synthesis and to make the picture more realistic, so the shutter speed can be lowered again.

3. Water mist

When the movement of sea water is relatively slow, use the obstruction of rocks and use a shutter speed of more than 30 seconds to make the sea water look like clouds and mist.

The principle of shooting water mist is to use the shutter cable to freely control the exposure time in B mode. Control the exposure time to more than 2 minutes for the best shooting effect.

The seawater taken in 8s is hard and the picture is bare. If the shutter speed is controlled at 100s, the movement of the seawater can be recorded for a longer period of time, and the picture will be as smooth as butter.

When seawater penetrates into the gaps blocked by moss and rocks, the cloud effect becomes more obvious because the water flow slows down. Therefore, when the sea water movement is intense, you can use the rocks to block the water mist.

Before shooting, you should first determine the shutter speed, take several pictures with different shutter speeds, and determine the aperture and ISO through the relationship of the reciprocity law. The aperture should not be too small, and the foreground should be clear when focusing, so The picture will be more textured.

For those who like to take pictures of scenery, next time you encounter this kind of water scene, you can try using different shutter speeds to feel the changes in the picture.