With the wonderful water photography competition in full swing we have had some absolutely stunning images…. and some not so great ones as well (you know who you are!!)
So we asked Amy Squibb, Editor of Photography for Beginners for her top 5 tips for taking the perfect Wonderful Water photo:
1) Consider your speed
When shooting water, your shutter speed will have a big impact on the final result. Use a fast shutter speed of over 1/200sec to freeze every droplet in its tracks, or a slow shutter speed below 1 second and a tripod to create a smooth, milky effect.
2) Use a filter
An ND filter will stop your shot being overexposed when using slow shutter speeds. You can get different strengths – the stronger the filter, the slower the shutter speed you’ll be able to use.
3) Create a point of interest
Vast expanses of water don’t necessarily make for interesting shots, unless you give it a focal point. Use foreground interest such as a rock, a pier or a boat to give your watery landscapes some context. Position the focal point a third of the way across the frame for a stronger composition too.
4) Capture detail
Why not make water the subject of a macro shot by adding droplets to flowers? The flower makes an attractive backdrop, but move your focus point over the water drop to keep it the main focal interest.
5) Look for reflections
A reflection can add extra impact to your water shot. For a ripple-free reflection, you’ll need to head out on a day that’s not too windy, or seek out areas of the water that are a bit more sheltered from the wind. You could even make your own reflection in a puddle by holding bright colourful objects over them.
For more water photography tips, head to www.photoforbeginners.com.
Or visit http://www.savewatersavemoney.co.uk/competition to enter the contest.