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5 Tips for Amazing Waterfall Photos

By on May 23, 2015
Michael J. Henderson

Everyone loves a waterfall! There’s just something about all that rushing water, and the breathtaking scenery that almost always accompanies it. Finding an elusive waterfall can be an adventure unto itself; if you’re anything like me, you love to get to those lesser-known locations, rather than the ones everyone always goes to that are way too accessible.Freedom Falls

Of course, once you find your dream spot, you want to document it, right? Well, here are a few tips on getting photos that will at least do that beautiful waterfall some justice.

#1 – Bring a tripod! No matter what kind of camera you have, short of just using a cell phone (NOT recommended!), you’ll want to get it mounted on something rock-solid, for reasons I’ll explain in #2 below.

#2 – You don’t need a super-fancy digital SLR, but you do want something that lets you fiddle a bit with exposures. Want that silky smooth flowing-ribbon look of the water? You’ll need to slow down your exposure, way down, like 3 seconds or longer. Using aperture-priority or manual exposure, use a really high f-stop, like f16 or higher, and it’ll make your camera’s shutter expose longer. Another tip is to keep your ISO sensitivity as low as your camera allows, like around 100. Because of these long exposures, handholding your camera just isn’t going to cut it. Hence the recommendation to use a tripod.Freedom Falls

#3 – Shoot on gloomy days. Is the sun out? Go to the beach! Pick those overcast, cloudy days to make the trek to a waterfall, not the sunny ones. You’ll be under tree cover anyway, so you won’t even notice all those clouds! The light will be much more forgiving; the contrast of light in a waterfall scene is bad enough (dark shadows under overhanging rocks vs. super bright reflections off the flowing water) without the sunlight complicating it. Shooting on darker days will also make it easier for your camera to use slower shutter speeds.

#4 – Dress appropriately! Just like any hike in the woods (which is where most waterfalls are), remember that there will be biting insects and rugged terrain. In tick country, consider some effective repellent and long sleeves & pants. And if you want to get those awesome “creek level” shots, make sure you’re either prepared to get your feet wet, or you’re wearing some sort of waterproof footwear.

#5 – Let someone know where you’re going. If you go out alone, definitely make sure someone knows when and where you’ll be, just in case something bad happens. Terrain around waterfalls is often very tricky for walking, especially if you feel compelled to get down to water level. A cell phone is also a good idea, but don’t count on always having cell service. If you’re heading into unfamiliar territory, it’s also a good idea to bring a GPS unit, or have a navigation app on your phone that will help you get back out if you get disoriented.

For lots more tips, including dealing with winter weather, advanced photography techniques, and recommended editing software, check out my 50-page book, A Modern Photographer’s Guide to Shooting Waterfalls.

About Michael Henderson

Born and bred in Franklin, Pennsylvania, Mike learned about adventure from an early age. Even before he learned to walk, Mike made trips to the Outer Banks with his family, where he slept under his dad’s cot in a canvas tent along the beach. The adventures continued, to the mountains, the Great Lakes, the Pacific Coast, and everywhere in between. Those trips included backpacking into the Grand Canyon and up Mount Rainier, camping in the Rockies in the snow, and skiing right out the front door at home on old alpine skis with cable bindings. Other family activities including canoeing, water skiing, ice skating, bouldering, body surfing, and fishing. By the 1980s, Mike’s interests expanded to include windsurfing, inline skating, photography, and eventually mountain biking, geocaching, and kayaking. He currently teaches photography at the Venango College of Clarion University, as well as windsurfing, geocaching, camping skills, and cross-country skiing at various local outdoor workshops. He collaborated and managed what has been considered the world’s largest, longest-running, and most successful geotrail, the Allegheny Geotrail. Some of his paddling exploits include two Ocracoke-to-Portsmouth Island crossings; St. Ignace, Michigan-to-Mackinac Island; and multiple excursions along the entire Pennsylvania shoreline of Lake Erie.

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