Featured Technique

Take This Shot: Slow shutter speeds

by Debbi Allen on 7th July 2009

Creating the illusion of movement within a still image can be a difficult proposition, as it requires breaking one of the basic rules of photography in keeping the subject sharp.

A waterfall makes for an attractive subject when taking landscape photography, but some of the majesty of the image is lost when the shutter speed is too high. The water appears completely static and although the environment will give away the motion, the final effect will still be a poor reflection of the subject. The only method to remedy this is to slow the shutter speed in order to carry a degree of motion blur, portraying a far more active image. By sacrificing the sharpness in the main subject, the movement will be better carried into the image, and the surrounding environment being sharp emphasises the fact that the water isn’t blurred through poor photography, but simply for an intentional effect.

The fact that a waterfall is often surrounded by trees makes the exposure difficult, as streaks of light often appear, rather than a balanced amount. Trees also have the added annoyance of moving around in a breeze, meaning the water may not be the only blurred object. On a particularly windy day, it can be better to simply crop the trees out of the photo with some tighter framing. As with any type of landscape photography, patience is the key, so don’t be discouraged if the first few shots aren’t exactly as intended. Be sure to grab a tripod and don’t get too close to the action, or the camera may not survive the image-taking process.

Please refer to the image above for the following number references.

1 Background sharpness
Switch to manual focus and make sure the surrounding area is sharp, rather than worrying about the waterfall itself

2 Slow shutter speed
Put the shutter speed down to around the half-second mark, and keep an eye on the aperture. It may close too far to compensate on Program mode

3 Inconsistent lighting issues
Surrounding obstructions might cause streaks of light across the image, so waiting for a perfect moment may be a fruitless exercise

4 Steady as she goes
A tripod will be absolutely vital for this shot, as the long shutter speeds make it impossible to go hand-held without it resulting in a blurred mess

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