First attempt at a waterfall

[donlfaulkner]

While at Caldwell Zoo in Tyler today I came across this waterfall and thought I would try to capture the motion of the water. How did I do and how can I improve?

Thanks for looking.

[PEC]

Nice first attempt.

I shoot a lot of waterfalls but seldom at midday. Most of the time within an hour or so of sunrise, otherwise often contrast range is to great for our sensors dynamic range. I'm guessing the zoo has normal day time hours of 10-7 or so, the worse times for these shots. That is why your hightlights are blown out.

I also shoot 100% of my waterfalls on a tripod with long exposures to get the silky look of the water. Again, you may have been constrained with the zoo's policy. Some places say no tripods. I prefer long exposures on relatively smallish waterfalls. Massive waterfalls like Niagra, Igwazu, Victoria, I want to capture the feeling of power and choose short exposures.

I like how you handled the water in the lower right. It leads the eyes into the photo.

Keep on shooting :)

[crbeveri]

Looks good. Like Paul said the time of day is off but that's not something you can control. I would say add a Neutral Density filter or CPL filter if you don't have any ND. This will also help lower your shutter speed and give you that silky look to the water (if that's what you're going for)

[donlfaulkner]

Thanks, guys for the comments. I did not think about carrying my cpl filter in with me. I left the tripod on the seat of the truck (even after asking a zoo employee about zoo policy on tripods. He said they are permitted) and I was too lazy to go back and get it.

[ChrisTX]

Lower your ISO down, and you can get your shutter speed even slower.

[crbeveri]

Originally Posted by donlfaulkner

Thanks, guys for the comments. I did not think about carrying my cpl filter in with me. I left the tripod on the seat of the truck (even after asking a zoo employee about zoo policy on tripods. He said they are permitted) and I was too lazy to go back and get it.

I use to have this same problem with toting my tripod around. I learned quickly to really get the effects and looks I like I use slow shutter speeds and need a tripod. It sucks sometimes toting it around but when you get home and see your images it makes it worth all the hassle. Also, get a tripod that isn't 2 bulky or heavy and you'll find that you will use it a lot more. It may cost more but it's worth it when you see your images.