Yesterday morning I was on Bandon beach in Oregon teaching a workshop. We had cloudy, moody skies, perfect for creating stunning ocean photographs. The million dollar question came up…how do you photograph the water in the ocean landscape? And the answer is….it depends on the mood you want to create.
The first big question is do you use a fast shutter speed and freeze the water, or do you use a slow shutter speed and create silky effects? But before you can even choose a shutter speed you have to decide what you want to create in your image. If I have huge crashing waves and want to capture the power and intensity of the storm, then maybe I will choose a fast shutter speed of 1/1000 or faster to freeze the waves. Recording the shape, size and spray of ocean waves will show the viewer exactly what you saw. The image will have lots of tension and drama.
If you want to create a more serene scene, then maybe a slower shutter speed is a better choice. By using 1/4 of a second all the way to 30 seconds or more the water will transform into streaks or pure ‘cotton’ with a really slow shutter speed. You decide how much texture the waves have by how slow your shutter speed is. If you want pure ‘cotton’ like the image above, choose a shutter speed of 10 seconds or longer.
If you want some texture in your water, try a shutter speed around 1/4 to 4 seconds long. Water with texture creates line in the image and provides a visual handrail for the eye to follow. You can direct the viewer through your shot as they follow the lines created by the streaking water….take a look at the image above as an example.
Iceland
And there is also the question of do you photograph the waves coming up of the beach, or waves going down the beach? I often find I like my images better with the water receding into the ocean. But occasionally water racing up the beach will also look good. Waves crashing in from different directions create interesting lines and patterns. Rocks and ice will also create different shapes when ocean waters recede…the image at the top of this post is an example.
I read online recently how slow silky water is very cliche right now, and not a good technique. Honestly I’ve never paid much attention to what others say about style and technique, I just try to stay true to my vision and what outcome I want in my image. In the end you decide…if you like the image then you are on the right path.