how do i get the blurry water effect?

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mysterio84

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not sure of the proper term for it but its when you leave the shutter open for a while i think to get the movement of the water so the water looks all blurry and fluffy.:thinking:

what sort of setting would i be looking at to achieve these kinds of photos?
ive got a tripod but only an 18-70mm lens.

what settings would i need to use, i dont have any filters or anything lie that, just a camera and the above mentioned lens!

i was hoping to get down the beach and catch the waves on camera.

many thanks! :)
 
try shutter speeds of one or two seconds , experiment with longer and shorter times and get chimping !
 
thanks for that, i thought there was more to it than that sometimes when i have tried using a longer shutter speed i have found that the picture is very light, i thought maybe i would have to do something to compensate for this!
 
Are you shooting in manual?

If so, close the apperture abit. Use the light meter in the camera to show you when the exposure`s right.

Don`t forget, if you have a longer shutter speed you are letting in more light hence the lighter picture. To balance that out, keep the ISO low and close down the apperture.

It`s quie good fun, trial and error is the best way to learn. Afterall digital doesn`t cost to anything to experiment!
 
on your way out call into your local camera store and pick up a polarizer filter, they dont cost much and you will find shooting becomes that little bit easier, even more so for long exposures. 1/3 sec can get you some great shots with a F14. example shown.

waterflow.JPG
 
minky_monkey said:
Are you shooting in manual?

If so, close the apperture abit. Use the light meter in the camera to show you when the exposure`s right.

Don`t forget, if you have a longer shutter speed you are letting in more light hence the lighter picture. To balance that out, keep the ISO low and close down the apperture.

It`s quie good fun, trial and error is the best way to learn. Afterall digital doesn`t cost to anything to experiment!
Click to expand...

thanks for all the replies, when you say close the aperture does that mean going up to a higher number or down to a lower number?
 
melevo said:
on your way out call into your local camera store and pick up a polarizer filter, they dont cost much and you will find shooting becomes that little bit easier, even more so for long exposures. 1/3 sec can get you some great shots with a F14. example shown.

waterflow.JPG
Click to expand...

thats fantastic, how much do these polarizer filters cost?
 
mysterio84 said:
thanks for all the replies, when you say close the aperture does that mean going up to a higher number or down to a lower number?
Click to expand...


The higher the number, the smaller the apperture.

f2.8 = large apperture
f16 = much smaller apperture, less light allowed through.
 
if you want a quick visit to a shop then just call into argos, £14.99 for a uv and polor filter, dont forget to check the ring size required
 
You will need some neutral density filters, have a look at the colkin range for a cheap solution.
Alternatively there is the B+W nd 3 10000 which will reduce the exposure by 10 f stops this comes in at approx £50 depending on size, the last time I used this during the day I was using a 90 second exposure which produce some nice fluffy water:clap::clap:
 
ok cheers guys, if its possible il try without the filters for now as i wont be able to get to an argos...or truthfully im feeling a littel rough from last night so want to get straight to the beach for some fresh air!!!
 
dont forget your hat, because its damn cold out, lol
 
Try without filters by all means, but narrow aperture and low ISO will only take you so far. ND filters are the way to go after this. They come in the following strengths:
ND 2 (1 stop)
ND 4 (2 stops)
ND 8 (3 stops)
ND 64 (6 stops)
ND 1000 (10 stops)

For every stop, you can double your exposure time. Pick carefully- and ND 2 might not be enough, but the 1000 might be more than you want. You can stack filters if you like.The top 3 can be bought from most camera shops as soon as you like, but the others you might have to order in specially.
 
what camera have you got
 
MR BING, rainham kent , old haunt for me is that. when i was younger that is....
 
bredhurst rd
 
unreal, nice to meet you.
 
im going to get those argos filters on tuesday for the price its worth the risk lol
 
You will find that the polarizing filter will do a LOT MORE for a photograph than just allow you to use a slower shutter speed to blur water.

A polarizer will help (depending on the angle of the sun):

...darken the sky and accentuate the clouds

...remove or reduce reflections from non-metallic surfaces like glass and water

...cut through haze by minimizing the reflections from airborne particulates

...increase the color saturation of foliage by reducing reflections off the leaves

...reduce the exposure range of a landscape by darkening the sky to a range more easily captured by the sensor or film.

Once you have attached the polarizer to the lens, turn the rotating front element while looking through the viewfinder. You will see the difference straight on.

You can also learn the capabilities of a polarizer by carrying it in your pocket and taking it out occasionally and looking through it while rotating the front element. It is very easy to see the results of the polarizer and this is a good way to get used to its capabilities.

Make sure however, that you buy a Circular Polarizer (CPL). Older linear polarizers are still hanging around and will cause problems with auto-focus and exposure for modern cameras.
 
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