10 tips for photographing a waterfall

Monday 29 April 2024, 15:30 by Nando Harmsen | 4,109 views | 7 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Photographing a waterfall is always fun. It could be a small waterfall or an enormous one. The movement of the water, the spray around it and the patterns that can appear in the water are fantastic. I have ten tips for photographing a waterfall.

Waterfalls come in an incredible range of shapes and sizes. You never get tired of looking at them. Photographing them can be a challenge, especially if you want to create something special. Photographing a waterfall is also about more than just getting the whole waterfall in the frame.

Choose a long shutter speed or a short one. Look at details, the foreground and the shapes. Pay attention to the surroundings and what can be seen there. If you have a beautiful waterfall, you can spend hours there and never run out of photographic possibilities.

With the ten tips below, you can create something special from the waterfall you visit.

1. Get everything in the frame with a long shutter speed

Photographing the entire waterfall is an obvious choice. You can use a long shutter speed to capture the water without any significant detail. This often works well for calm, atmospheric images.

Schiessentümpel in Luxembourg with a 119-second exposure

2. Get everything in the frame with a short shutter speedTo emphasise the power of the water, you need a short shutter speed. You can then see the water falling, with all the droplets as it splashes down. Experiment with the shutter speed and vary it to find the sweet spot. This could be 1/1000 second or 1/30 second.

Kvernufoss in Iceland with a short shutter speed of 1/640 second

3. Details in the falling water

Look for details, especially when the water flows down over the rocks in stages. Look for shapes and patterns and use a polarising filter to reduce the glare.

Cascade de la Beaume in France in detail with a 0.3-second exposure

4. The waterfall out of focus in the background

The waterfall does not have to be the subject. If there is something beautiful in the foreground, choose that as your subject and leave the waterfall in the background. This adds an extra dimension to a photo of a waterfall.

A waterfall in the Valley of the Druids in France, but the fern is the subject. (6-second exposure)

5. Let the water flow towards you

To create depth, a low viewpoint above the stream flowing away from the waterfall can work well. Look for lines that lead towards the waterfall in the background.

Cascade de la Beaume in France with the water flowing towards the camera. (1-second exposure)

6. A bird's-eye view

Photographing a waterfall from above can be a challenge. It offers a unique perspective. However, it is not always possible, but it is worth trying. You could use a drone if you are allowed to fly one.

The Krimml Wasserfälle in Austria from above, with a 1/8-second exposure to emphasise the power of the water.

7. Follow the water

A stream flowing away from the waterfall is a strong leading line. It follows the direction of the water, naturally drawing you towards an object in the distance.

An unnamed waterfall near Leynar in the Faroe Islands leads you towards the village (0.4-second exposure)

8. The light through the spray

Large waterfalls in particular can create a lot of spray. Look at where the sunlight is coming from and find a time when the sunlight shines through the spray. This is often at sunrise or sunset.

Godafoss in Iceland on a summer night when the sun is low. (6-second exposure)

9. Find the rainbow

All the spray at a waterfall is perfect for a rainbow. The sun has to be in the right position, and there must be enough spray. With a bit of luck, you may get a double rainbow. Is there a full Moon? Who knows, you might even be able to photograph a rainbow in the moonlight.

Føssa in the Faroe Islands with a double rainbow. (1/25-second exposure)

10. Take a tea towel with you

With all the water splashing around, the camera will get wet. Especially if the wind is coming from the wrong direction. Take a tea towel with you, one that has already been washed many times. It works best for drying your lens.

When your lens is wet, a tea towel always works.

More tips?

Do you have any tips for photographing waterfalls? Whether they are small waterfalls or enormous ones, all tips for taking the best photos are welcome. Share your tip in a comment below this article.

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About the author

Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.

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7 comments

Donald Willemsen wrote on Tuesday 30 April 2024 at 11:31 | reply
Nando, thanks for the great tips. Now I still have to find a waterfall that is easily accessible for me. The Coo waterfalls are accessible for me, but those are fake waterfalls (unnatural and artificial)
The photos with the article I find beautiful although I am still missing one, the Iguaçu waterfalls, one of the most impressive waterfalls in the world. Go there sometime Nando. As a landscape photographer, you can really indulge yourself there .
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Nando wrote on Tuesday 30 April 2024 at 13:14 | reply
Many well-known waterfalls in Iceland are easily accessible, including for people with disabilities.
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Eddy Moens wrote on Tuesday 30 April 2024 at 11:44 | reply
hey all ... a multitude of waterfalls and little waterfalls in the Jura region of France, I hear .... a place to be ....
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Nando wrote on Wednesday 8 May 2024 at 10:48 | reply
Thanks for the tip. I knew it, but had forgotten until you reminded me just now
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Donald Willemsen wrote on Tuesday 30 April 2024 at 13:34 | reply
Thank you Nando. Then we'll quickly start saving for a trip to Iceland .
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Hochzeitsfotograf wrote on Sunday 5 May 2024 at 20:37 | reply
Thank you very much! I love your articles with tips!
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Nando wrote on Wednesday 8 May 2024 at 10:49 | reply
Glad to hear it. You're welcome.
I'm trying to make some more. Now looking for subjects
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