West Burton Falls BW
This is a long exposure using a 10-stop filter to blur the waterfall and the river in the foreground. This exposure took 5 minutes....
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This is a long exposure using a 10-stop filter to blur the waterfall and the river in the foreground. This exposure took 5 minutes.
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Mar, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This is a photo of Cauldron Falls in West Burton, North Yorkshire. It's on one of the many tributaries of the river Ure near the more widely know Aysgarth Falls in the Wensleydale valley.Time
I set off really early one morning in February, it's around a 2 hour drive from where I live. It was bitterly cold and, as it was still winter it was a dark morning. By the time I reached the falls the sun was up but still very low and hidden behind grey clouds. I knew it would be challenging to photograph something under those conditions.Lighting
I hadn't visited the falls before so when I arrived I was shocked to discover that it literally is a "cauldron", a large bowl-shaped cutting in the rock, almost entirely surrounded by over-hanging trees. The low sun and grey cloud cover was made worse by the surrounding environment making the ambient light very poor.Equipment
I treated myself to a 10-stop ND filter some weeks before and I hadn't had a real opportunity to try it. I had experimented with it at home under favourable lighting conditions but I was itching to use it on a worthy subject. I set up my Canon 600D on a sturdy Manfrotto tripod and took a few shots from different angles to get the composition right. Once I was happy I fitted my 'Lee' 10-Stop ND filter and started taking some experimental shots. I was surprised to find that I needed really long exposures. This one took around 5 minutes but is a single image. Thanks to the length of the exposure the water took on the texture of smoke pouring over the rocks.Inspiration
I had been inspired by other waterfall photos I found on Viewbug. The technique makes the water look so smooth and gives it a surreal look and feel. Also I'm always on the lookout for something to challenge my skills and hopefully teach me something new about photography. I'm entirely self taught and I had no idea how the effect was done so I had read many books and magazines to find out how to capture this sort of image, what equipment I would need and how to use the camera. I was surprised how simple it seemed to be for such a great effect.Editing
There is little post-processing in this image. It's a single exposure straight from the camera with only a little highlighting of the water done in Photoshop and a little cropping to get the composition right.In my camera bag
I go everywhere with my Canon 600D and a Canon 18-200 zoom lens. I'm always on the lookout for an interesting shot. In the past I have witnessed some spectacular sunrises and sunsets and stood looking at them thinking "I wish I had a camera right now..." So I decided to pack a camera that I could keep with me at all times and one that could easily adapt to whatever the scene needed. This zoom lens does almost everything I need it to. I also have a Canon 50mm F/1.8 prime that I love to use for portraits, it produces beautiful bokeh. If I go out to shoot something specific then I take along my Manfrotto carbon fibre tripod, it's sturdy and lightweight so it's easy to carry if there's any walking to do. My 10-stop ND filter has become a permanent fixture in my bag along with a polarising filter to enhance blue skies.Feedback
It's easy to assume that good photography needs good light. These long exposures work much better in poor light because the exposure can be extended to much longer times without the need for a more dense filter or heavy post-processing. Also, a grey, colourless scene (like this one was) converts easily to black and white. To capture this scene I set up my camera on a tripod and used Manual mode. I focused the scene then set the focus to manual. I attached a remote shutter release which allows exposures longer than 30 seconds available in 'bulb' mode (on my Canon). I then attached a 10-stop ND filter in front of the lens and began to experiment with progressively longer exposures. I know that the exposure can be calculated, but it's a lot more fun to experiment and we all learn better when we make mistakes! I made quite a few mistakes on this shoot but, despite the cold and the dark. I made one more mistake on this shoot. Due to the cold the battery in my camera lost its' charge very quickly. The long exposures really take their toll on the battery. When I do this again I'll carry a spare battery and keep it in a warm pocket until needed. It could have been a wasted journey if I hadn't managed to get at least one good image.
