Watertrails a first attempt

Discussion in 'Scenic, Architecture, and Travel' started by Ian_Holmes, May 21, 2010.

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  1. Ian_Holmes

    Ian_Holmes Mu-43 Regular

    37
    Mar 27, 2010
    Minnesota
    Like the title says this afternoon I had my first attempt a photographing long exposure water trails. The afternoon was cloudy all were shot at ISO 100 f/22 200mm on my PL 45-200 with an ND2 filter on the front even then the slowest shutter speed I could get was about half a second. So the trails aren't as "ghostly" as I'd like but for a first attempt I can't complain. I expect the ghostliness of the train depends on the volume of water, speed of water as well as the shutter speed. So all in all I'm quite satisfied with a first attempt.
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    Ian_Holmes, May 21, 2010
    Ian_Holmes, May 21, 2010
    #1
  2. cosinaphile

    cosinaphile Mu-43 All-Pro Charter Member

    1,123
    Dec 26, 2009
    new york city
    try at dawn or dusk or as the light fails toward evening for some longer exposures , but these are nice ... i bet 15 sec to 30 sec would net you some ghostly water
     
    cosinaphile, May 21, 2010
    cosinaphile, May 21, 2010
    #2
  3. Bokeh Diem

    Bokeh Diem Mu-43 Top Veteran

    655
    Mar 14, 2010
    Toronto
    Very nice effect, especially the last shot, notwithstanding your technical difficulties.

    Bokeh Diem
     
    Bokeh Diem, May 21, 2010
    Bokeh Diem, May 21, 2010
    #3
  4. Ian_Holmes

    Ian_Holmes Mu-43 Regular

    37
    Mar 27, 2010
    Minnesota
    Thanks!
    The location is only 10-15 minutes down the road I might just go back right now.
     
    Ian_Holmes, May 21, 2010
    Ian_Holmes, May 21, 2010
    #4
  5. PeterB666

    PeterB666 Mu-43 Top Veteran Charter Member

    780
    Jan 14, 2010
    Tura Beach, Australia
    Real Name:
    Peter
    Quite good. I find some of the rocks not particularly sharp. Possibly you need to stop down a bit for more depth of field.

    I find the last one the best. The rocks look fairly sharp all the way though and you have a nice cascading feature of the mini-falls. Although there is less watertrails and less rocks, I find that the most interesting shot.

    For lighting, a overcast day works just nice. Too much dynamic range if the sun is out.

    Have fun and post some of the next lot.
     
    PeterB666, May 21, 2010
    PeterB666, May 21, 2010
    #5
  6. Ian_Holmes

    Ian_Holmes Mu-43 Regular

    37
    Mar 27, 2010
    Minnesota
    A second attempt

    So as the location is only 11 minutes down the road Fired up with reckless enthusiasm I headed back.
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    Now reckless enthusiasm is NOT a good thing because I forget everything I know. Good stuff like use the self timer to release the shutter. I blew the first half a dozen shots like that they were shaky.
    I'm also looking at some of these close up and I'm thinking that perhaps I should have manually focussed as well rather than rely on auto. In the fading light I was getting exposure times of 1.5 seconds which has given me more of what I was looking for. I'm definitely really pleased with the way these have gone. Thanks for the advice
     
    Ian_Holmes, May 21, 2010
    Ian_Holmes, May 21, 2010
    #6
  7. cosinaphile

    cosinaphile Mu-43 All-Pro Charter Member

    1,123
    Dec 26, 2009
    new york city
    really nice , and great to see this evolution of shots almost in real time .....this forum is like a living university of photography and comparative shooting , thanks for sharing this
     
    cosinaphile, May 21, 2010
    cosinaphile, May 21, 2010
    #7
  8. ryno

    ryno Mu-43 Rookie

    14
    Apr 6, 2010
    Minneapolis
    Nice Ian, where are those falls at?
    B+W makes a nice ND1.6, it's easy to get 1-2 sec any time of day.
    Ryan
     
    ryno, May 21, 2010
    ryno, May 21, 2010
    #8
  9. Ian_Holmes

    Ian_Holmes Mu-43 Regular

    37
    Mar 27, 2010
    Minnesota
    Falls?
    That's a bit of an exaggeration. It's the outfall from Elk Lake south of Princeton, MN.
    I'm definitely guilty of making it look more than it is...

    Ian
     
    Ian_Holmes, May 22, 2010
    Ian_Holmes, May 22, 2010
    #9
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