Swallow Falls shutter speeds?

[ChrisR]

I visited Swallow Falls near Betwys-y-Coed a week ago, just after some heavy rain, so it was in spate. I've only shot a small number of waterfalls, so I'm not very familiar with the techniques, and I didn't have a tripod (or even a monopod) with me. The 3 shots below were taken on a Pentax MX with a Pentax-M 35mm f/2 lens, on expired Reala 100 film shot at ISO 64 (partly to compensate for the 2007 expiry date, partly for my new over-expose regime). It's centre-weighted metering and I did not meter for the shadows in this case. I'm not asking for critique of the composition or metering etc here, nor of my hand-holding technique, this is really about how the water looks.

The first was (IIRC) handheld (or rather hand-braced with elbows on the rail), I think at 1/8 (no EXIF for us film shooters ):



Next at 1/4 (EDIT: I think, maybe still 1/8?):



Finally at 1/2, quite serious camera shake here, but that's not the point of the post, really:



Now my aim was to convey the feeling of spate, of the huge volume of water rumbling and tumbling. Which version d'you think does that best?

 

[ChrisR]

Bother, looking again I've no idea which way round the first two should go! The second is looking like a faster shutter speed than the first, now.

 

[gramps]

I think that the last gives the best impression of 'volume' but not of 'tumbling' as all 'tumbles' have been smoothed out - I think the 1st is the best compromise of 'volume' + 'tumbling'

 

[ChrisR]

I think that the last gives the best impression of 'volume' but not of 'tumbling' as all 'tumbles' have been smoothed out - I think the 1st is the best compromise of 'volume' + 'tumbling'

I think maybe you're right, gramps. It's annoying that I've lost confidence in my memory of the settings! At least, I'm confident that 1/2 second is going for that full milky look, and somewhere from 1/8 to 1/4 looks like the compromise I like.

In another shot, taken from lower down the fall, the volume is such that at 1/2 second it's really smoothed out, which is entirely NOT the point. Shame, as my hand-holding was better there, and might almost qualify as "sharp"!

 

[brman]

Looking at them I suspect they go middle, top, bottom in decreasing shutter speed.

I think it depends what you want. As a kayaker I like the middle one as somehow gives me a better impression of the both the volume of water and the danger from the rocks etc. Looking at it I can imagine how scary it would feel at water level in a kayak (not that I would have ever considered going near them in a kayak).

As a photographer, I am not so sure. The bottom one certainly looks more pretty and what you would expect to see on a postcard. I still think I prefer 2 though the high vantage point doesn't help convey the drama.

 

[tommy bro]

nice shots

 

[ChrisR]

Thanks Toby and Thomas. Being a tourist attraction, there are limited viewpoints (well, there usually are limited viewpoints at waterfalls, unless you're a climber!). Tese two were taken further down, looking up. First the faster shutter speed (1/8 or 1/4, no longer sure):



Then 1/2 second:



Again, I prefer the faster one. I also tried a couple looking downhill; although they work for me, remembering what was there, I don't think they really convey the drama in anything like the same way.

 

[Kevin Allan]

For this particular location with this amount of water, I prefer the faster shutter times. On a relatively "sparse" water course I will often use 1/8s or 1/4s, but when there is a greater flow of water, things can get bit messy.

The third shot in your first post would, IMHO, work most effectively if the water level was lower, allowing more rocks to be visible.

It is worth taking a whole series of test shots at different speeds, on different stretches of water ranging from a quiet stream to a raging torrent, and keeping careful notes. If you try six different speeds on six different water stretches then you'll fit it onto one 36-exp film and it will be money well spent.

Only you can decide which shutter speed produces the look that you prefer.

 

[ChrisR]

Thanks Kevin, that's really helpful to know. I'm rarely allowed near waterfalls, so learning occurs at a low rate .

 

[Brian G]

Bother, looking again I've no idea which way round the first two should go! The second is looking like a faster shutter speed than the first, now.

Yes, I thought that too.

To answer the original question, I think they all convey a good impression, but for me the faster shutter speed (the second one?) is the my preference.

 

[ChrisR]

Thanks Brian.