Make water look dreamy

When it comes to photographing moving subjects, you’d naturally assume freezing the action would give the best result. That’s certainly the case for some subjects, but others can end up looking static and lifeless. Waterfalls and rivers are classic examples which can take on a far more dramatic appearance when the water itself is blurred.

Checklist: Blurring water for a creative effect

1: Switch your camera to Shutter Priority mode by turning the mode dial to ‘S’ or on Canon models, ‘Tv’.

2: Choose a slower than normal shutter speed to blur the water. 1/30 is a good starting point.

3: Check your photo. If the water isn’t blurred enough, choose a slower shutter speed like 1/15 or 1/8. Note you may need a tripod or an anti-shake system to avoid camera shake – see below.

4: In shutter priority, your camera will work out the aperture setting for you. If the f-number starts flashing though, it means it can’t balance the shot. In this example, the exposure may be too long, so if your sensitivity (ISO) is already at the lowest number, you’ll have to choose a slightly quicker shutter speed until the f-number stops flashing.

5: After taking your photo, remember to set the mode dial back to Auto or Program mode.