filters for milky water?

[njg02]

G'day,

I'm just wondering if a filter will do what I want or do I rely on the camera. ie. Daylight shots with water washing over rocks or a flowing river or waterfall. I realise that I need to use my tripod. If anyone knows what I mean all help or hints will be much appreciated.

NeilG

[yummymummy]

I think I know what you mean.. you want to take waterfall photos and make the water look silky yeah??
ok, I've only done this once, and had a fellow AP member help me, so I'm by no means an expert. I was told to put the camera in Aperture priority mode, and go to the highest F number you can go to, my camera was F22, which gave it a shutter speed of 1 second. You HAVE to use a tripod, but that should do what you want it to do.. good luck!!

[Allann]

Yep, what Kirsty said. depending on brightness you can add an neutral density filter (the darker the better) to further increase the exposure time. You can also, if your feeling really game use Manual, still use the largest f-stop you have and then adjust your shutter speed to change the exposure, short for a dark and moody feel, and really long to get a bright image, but watch the little exposure needle in the camera, you still want that around the middle. But experiment, see what changing the various settings do, and work out what YOU like. Even try an Auto one to see what the camera "thinks" is the right setting, and then experiment some more. Nothing is wrong, and it's all learning.

[ricktas]

ND filters, small aperture and overcast day!

Specular highlights from the sun directly hitting the water or surrounds, especially in dappled light can ruin a good slow water shot, even if you use a small aperture and ND filters.

[njg02]

Thanks Kirsty, Allan.

I forgot to mention, what about a bright city scene where the people walking around don't appear in the photo? Is it more logical to ose an ND filter? I geuss I should be out there experimenting. The only cost is time.

Neil

[yummymummy]

Yeah! Can't hurt to go out with your camera and give it a go hey good luck!! post your results I love to see the milky water photos

[DAdeGroot]

Overcast day and a polariser. No ND's required then

However, if you have even bright light (that is not dappled), ND filters help heaps. An ND400 for full sun is the way to go - keeps the apertures wide enough to avoid diffraction, but you get long enough exposures to have silky smooth water.

[njg02]

Thanks for the tips people. Now to experiment.

Neil

[davesmith]

Have a look into ND400 filters. These are 9 stop neutral density fitlers, as opposed to say, an ND8 filter which is "only" 3 stops. It's like looking through a welder's mask. Very dark, very hard to focus but can produce some nice results. Particularly handy for waterfalls during the day.

I use a Hoya branded ND400 but I understand B+W (I think) make a 10 stop filter. Difference between 9 and 10 doesn't sound much but when you consider the 9 stop filter might have you into multiple minute exposures, that 1 extra stop doubles the required exposure again so it certainly adds up.

[ving]

I use brita. they design filters especially for water.

[B D H]

I use brita. they design filters especially for water.

brita filters !
I'll drink to that !

[David]

Whatever u use dont forget the tripod with anything that is going to stop down that much the shutter speed becomes an issue otherwise for movement/blur.