Waterfalls make difficult subjects. It is challenging to capture the true spectacle of an impressive waterfall on film. The sight and sound of the moving water, the smell of the forest, and the feeling of the cool, moist air blowing off the falls are all part of the total experience. Yet with a little practice you can get very nice pictures that convey something of the nature of the waterfall.
Photography is a hobby that has no limit when it comes to the amount of money you can spend on equipment. When it comes to waterfalls, however, I have the following suggestions.
First, a zoom lens is very helpful. You can't always stand in the best spot when you are at a waterfall. Steep rock faces and raging water often conspire to make the only safe locations very unphotogenic ones. I've found that a zoom lens allows me to get just a little closer or just a little further back when there would otherwise be no way I could move in those directions. I use a 28mm to 105mm zoom lens. Although I find that many of my pictures are taken close to the 50mm "standard" lens focal length, I've often needed to slide my lens toward either end of its range. The wide-angle settings tend to be more useful than the telephoto ones.
Many waterfalls are located in dark spots. The bottom of heavily forested glens and gorges typically get very little sun. As a result, long exposures are often necessary—and sometimes desirable for certain effects (see below). Hand-holding long exposures is challenging. Thus, a tripod is a handy accessory for waterfall work. Be sure to get one that is useful on rough, uneven ground. You should be able to adjust the length of the legs independently.
A polarizing filter can also be useful for making the sky more dramatic and for removing glare from pools of water.
Almost without fail, waterfalls look better from below than they do from above. If at all possible, try to get below the falls when taking pictures of them.
Try to include enough context to get some scale. People are good for that, although too many people are a distraction. Yet even trees, logs, and other natural items can serve to put the falls into context. For example, the log at the bottom of this picture is enough to give the viewer a feeling for the scale of the falls. In contrast, you would never know that these falls are about 80 feet high from this picture!
It is usually best to avoid direct, straight on shots. Take your picture at a slight angle if you can. Sometimes it's very difficult to find the best angle from which to photograph a waterfall. I've been at falls where I really wanted to be on the other side of the stream but was unable to get there because of rushing water. Of course, if you are very serious about getting the best picture, you might consider driving or hiking around the long way to get to the other side, or you might bring whatever is necessary to wade the stream. Rock climbing gear might also be useful in some cases so that you could scale the wall opposite the falls and get the best view. I don't go to those extremes.
Whatever you do, avoid getting fences, cars, parking lots, or signs in the picture (unless it is your intention to make an "artificial" item your subject and not the waterfall). Such things are a major distraction in the final image. Some waterfalls are very much fenced in, and it can be difficult to get a shot that displays the falls in its natural surroundings. It saddens me to see the ambiance of a magnificent waterfall ruined by fences and walkways.
The slower the film, the higher the resolution. If you want poster-quality pictures, don't use high-speed film. On the other hand, as I mentioned above, many waterfalls are in dark locations. If you have, for example, hiked five miles to get to the falls and didn't bring your tripod, you may need high-speed film to get a good picture.
Long exposures will cause the water to blur in the final image, giving the falls a streaming, feathery look. Very fast exposures will freeze the water, resulting in a stop-action appearance. Both effects can be very interesting. The streaming look can make a small, unimpressive waterfall very interesting. Stop-action tends to look better if there is a lot of spray.
Return to my list of Waterfall Pictures.
