Waterfalls are one of nature’s finest gifts to us. From small, jungle falls to the raw power of giant mountain cascades, the sound, freshness and smell of the kicked up water is sure to relax and inspire.
That said, have you ever struggled to get a great photo? You’re there, standing in front of this magnificent site but when you look at the picture you just kind of think meh. Well, you’re not alone. While waterfall pictures are some of the best, when done right, they are not easy.
Now I’m by no means a professional photographer (my dad is, so I learned a few things) but I recently asked people to share some of their best waterfall photos for an Instagram feature but the response was so good, I thought I’d also turn it into a blog post too. And if that isn’t enough, be sure to also check out some of the best waterfall quotes to really get your creative juices flowing.
Of course, one thing to be sure of is that having a great travel camera helps, although phones do a fantastic job when taking pictures of moving entities such as water, sometimes they do struggle if you want to use some special functions.
But that tip aside, let’s get on with it.
The Travel Blogs tips on taking great/better waterfall pictures
Slow your shutter speed
If you have a tripod great, if not then find a sturdy surface, use the three-second self-timer and slow your shutter speed down to capture that movement. If you don’t feel confident in full manual mode, most cameras have an S setting, this is shutter speed. You can put it anywhere from a quarter of a second to two seconds, depending on the speed of the water and lighting, and the camera will work out the rest. If you are comfortable with full manual, you don’t need me to tell you what to do!
A quiet corner at the jaw dropping Plitvice Lakes in #croatia such a stunning area. #waterfall #croatiafulloflife #plitvice #lakes #stunning #travel
Look for natural framing
Sometimes a photo of a waterfall can just be a little boring on its own. When you are there you can feel it, hear it, in a photo, sometimes those feelings just don’t come across. When trying to frame your picture, you could seek out rocks for the foreground or jungle, just something to throw a bit more interest in there.
Read more about Asia’s largest waterfall (below) on A Nomad on the Loose.
Some waterfalls are worth chasing for #takemebacktoBali
Get creative with your angles
Get creative with the direction you are shooting. Can you look straight up at it? This can help to make it look bigger than it is or make the person looking at the photo feel they are close, the water is almost falling on them.
Use people
Using people in your pictures can be a great way to give a sense of scale. Whether jumping in from the top, stood next to or even under, a great way to let people know how big the falls are.
I looked up at the waterfall and was blown away with the strength, the power and grace that’s being emitted from this wonder of nature. In these few months while we’ve been living an island life, I’ve learned that chasing waterfalls is one of the best things a person can do. It feels special. #thetravelleaf
Take a Wide Angle shot
Have a look around, is there more you can include in your photo than just the falls? As beautiful as waterfalls are, they are quite common, so what really gives your photo a sense of place and tells the person looking at it where it was taken . . . without words.
Use locals if possible
Here we have an awesome blend of two of the above tips. When the people you can use in the photo are local people, it’s like a two for one, sense of scale and sense of place.
Get Inside the falls
If you can . . . why wouldn’t you? Just be sure to protect your camera from any errant spray and don’t fall over!
Chase the rainbow!
Waterfalls can kick up spray which in turn can create rainbows which go on to create some wonderful photos!
Okay, one last photo of Niagara Falls! (and with a rainbow! ) . Today, let’s do something fun. Select the one statement you think is NOT true about Niagara Falls: The first person to go over the falls was a 63-year-old teacher who traveled down the Falls in a barrel in 1901. It is the collective name for 2 waterfalls that overlap the borders of Ontario & New York. It was created roughly 10,000 years ago by glacier activity. . What do you choose? Check the correct answer on my IG stories!! . #travelcanada #adventureisoutthere #natureloversgallery #imagesofcanada #discoveron #exploreontario #discoverontario #discoverniagara #tourcanada #niagarafalls
Discover the best time of day
Sunset and sunrise offer some of the best shots. If you know where the sun rises and sets, it helps to decide which is best for your waterfall. Get it right and you can create something spectacular.
Create something
Because sometimes nature just wants a helping hand.
Create nothing
And other times the falls are so beautiful and iconic that nothing more is needed. Here are some of those.
Iguazu Falls
Victoria Falls
Dudhsagar falls, Goa
Niagra Falls
Seljalandsfoss (or pretty much any) waterfall in Iceland
Above all enjoy it
Hope you enjoyed reading, maybe you picked up a tip or two, maybe you didn’t and just enjoyed the photos. Either way, thanks for reading. If you have any tips to share, we’d love to hear them in the comments and remember this one thing, don’t let the camera distract you from enjoying the moment. You are there for you, great if you can take an awesome photo and share it to make everyone jealous, but don’t do it at the sacrifice of enjoying the moment yourself.
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This is so beautiful!.
I enjoyed every bit if it! ?
I will definitely slow my shutter speed and work on this more, your shots are amazing!
Those pictures are gorgeous! I’ve always wanted to be good at photography
The pictures which you have posted are absolutely amazing
Very nice post! I love long exposures next to a waterfall
Great tips! Recently I got new camera, so I will follow your tips! It would be nice if you could write a post on taking great seaside photos 🙂
wow ! wonderful posts and nice theme .. ! you done tagging with all travel bloggers . good
That’s a very informative post.. Thanks for sharing the tips for taking good photos of waterfalls
I need general photography tips with the new camera I have bought as I am not able to get to grips with the different types of settings for different types of photos! All these points were really helpful for me! Thank you for posting!!!!
http://www.nmdiaries.com
Thanks, hope they help you make the most of your new camera!
wow these are gorgeous pictures!!
xx
lau
Wooow! Magical photos and so many beautiful waterfall places in the world! Thanks for your tips!
These are so good! Obviously these photographers followed some of your suggestions because they did an amazing job!
http://www.officiallychic.com
Wow these are breathtakingly beautiful, great tips too, thank you.
I wish you had written this post earlier!! I have wasted 3 trips (picture-wise, the experience and the memories in my head are still great), one in Greece (Edessa) and two in Serbia (Gostilje and Prijepolje). My pictures look so bad!
These are some great tips. I’m obsessed with waterfalls. I will keep this in mind when I take some pics in the future.
Waterfalls are so pretty and each one is unique in its own way. I like that your tips remind us that we can and should be creative. The result will be some memorable shots.
Oh wow! So many beautiful waterfall places in the world. I particularly enjoy the ones with a captured rainbow, so magical. The different angles also make for some pretty fantastic shots. Not a real photographer myself, but keeping that s button in mind!
Matt, these are some great tips. I never thought of slowing my shutter speed. Shame on me,i was using it for traffic, stars and Light only but these photos prove that it works well for waterfalls too
I haven’t captured a rainbow in my waterfall pictures. I hope to one day
Great tips
Some really awesome tips here! Cheers
Woow nice shoot of those waterfalls.
Great post! Would have been helpful to see this before venturing to a waterfall in Khao Yai and not knowing what to do … will definitely keep this in mind next time!