Getting Silky Looking Water In Stream Photos

flowing water
Slow shutter speeds are necessary to get this whispy look to water - by baaker2009

We’ve all seen the photos of rivers and waterfalls where the water looks silky smooth, almost a blur. Well, it’s not almost a blur, it is a blur. Not because the water is moving particularly fast, but because the shutter speeds are very slow.

To get those silky smooth blurry water shots, you’ll need to get familiar with your camera’s shutter priority settings. That would be the “Tv” setting on your Canon dial and the “S” mode on Nikon.

There are many instances where you’ll want to use Shutter Priority, it’s handy for a lot of different types of shooting. It’s probably the program mode I use more than any other besides CA (Creative Auto) on my Canon. You’ll use either Shutter Priority or Manual for most strobe lighting situations, unless your external flash is compatible with your camera’s eTTL system. It’s also the setting you’d use when photographing objects moving very fast at air shows or racing events. And it’s the setting to use for getting blurry water shots in a stream.

You’ll need a moving stream will a little bit of fall and a tripod. Once you have your scene framed, select a shutter speed of 1/125th of a second or faster, if you want the freeze the water. For the blurry effect, start with a shutter speed of an ⅛ or ¼ of a second and go longer from there, all the way up to two or three seconds.

Surprisingly, an object doesn’t have to be moving very fast to get the blurry background effect. If you’re trying to make a car look like it’s going fast, it doesn’t have to be moving much faster than a slow walk to make a car look like it’s speeding along with a slow shutter speed.

Just like with water in a moving stream, you can get the blurry effect with ocean waves. When done right it actually looks really cool, almost like mist over the ocean, but that takes some really long shutter times, three or four seconds. For many modern DSLRs that means working right up until it’s almost dark.

Nikon Speedlight Home Run With SB-910

nikon sb-910 back
Nikon fields the SB-910 just in time for Christmas - by Nikon

Nikon is gearing up to ship an upgrade to their SB-900 powerhouse external flash in the form of the SB-910.

Set for a release in time for Christmas, the SB-910 promises compatibility with Nikon’s i-TTL system metering on camera or on wireless control. The SB-910 can operate as a hot shoe mounted speedlight, a remote unit, or wireless commander.

The SB-910 has an extended zoom range from 17-200mm and three illumination patterns for more control over flash coverage, including center weight and even mode which diffuses the light across the photo frame for more even lighting of group photos.

Another big improvement is the SB-910 is heat management. If the earlier models get too hot, they simply shut down. If the SB-910 starts getting hot, it slows down the recharge times.

The SB-910 is compatible with all FX and DX format SLR digital cameras and sports a recycle time of 2.3 seconds with LR6 NIMH batteries.

The SB-910 comes with hard incandescent and fluorescent color filters included, with a digital feedback to the camera that automatically adjusts the camera’s color temperature settings.

On the back the unit has an ultra-large LCD screen with clear menu systems. For bounce capability the flash can be tilted up to 90 degrees and down to 7 degrees, and rotated 180 degrees to the left and right.

nikon sb-910
Large and imposing the SB-910 occupies the hot shoe - by Nikon

Photographers will appreciate the lighted buttons when working in dark areas and the easy to read LCD menus.

Many photographers who thought the SB-900 was a winner, won’t be disappointed by its replacement in the SB-910. I’ve always had a high opinion of Nikon Speedlights and with this model, they look to stay on top.

Available for pre-order at Amazon for $549.00.

Here Come The Super Zooms

In the old days, zoom lenses were scoffed at by professional photographers. Zooms were the choice of amateurs and photojournalists, serious pros shot primes and that was that.

Fast forward a couple decades and zoom lens technology has made some amazing advances. Computer designed optics and advanced optical coatings combine to deliver astonishing clarity and color at price points unheard of a few years ago. Complete with high speed focusing motors and image stabilization, the zoom ranges are just insane. 18mm-200mm, 50mm-500mm, you start wondering why you need to pack a lot of glass around with you anymore. In many cases, you don’t.

Here are just a few examples of what’s out there and there are new ones coming out all the time.

Nikon Nikkor 18-200

Nikon Nikkor 18-200

On an APS-C or APS-H chip yields a comparable zoom range of 27.5-305mm. Fantastic range that can take you from a wide angle to right up close and personal. The 11.1x zoom range and silent wave focusing makes this lens a favorite among Nikon shooters.

 

 

Tamron 18-270 super zoom gets high marks on clarity

Tamron 18-270

Designed specifically for APS-C chips, this 15x zoom by Tamron has a reputation for delivering sharp images through out the zoom range. It has internal vibration compensation features and is a great “single lens” solution when you only feel like taking one.

 

 

 

The Sigma 50-500 "Bigma" super zoom

Sigma 50-500

Called the “Bigma” Sigma just might have come up with the perfect all around outdoor sport shooting lens. Fast focusing and sharp throughout the zoom range, the Sigma 50-500 gets 4.5 stars from Amazon users.  It gets dinged for being a little heavy to carry around as a “single lens” solution.

 

The Nikon 80-400 gets criticism for being a little long on the wide side

Nikon 80-400

Getting high marks from wildlife photographers and bird watchers, the Nikon 80-400 is a solid performer at distance. It gets some criticism for not being wider on the low end.

Rumors Swirl Around Nikon D800

nikon D700
The Nikon D800 is rumored to be similar to the D700 with higher resolution - by Nikon

If the rumors are too be believed, these photos on NikonRumors are the new Nikon D800.

Nikon is swinging for the fence this time, with a full frame 36 megapixel sensor delivering an image with a resolution of 7360×4912.

The overall frame is rumored to be smaller and lighter than the D700, but with nearly three times the sensor resolution.

It also appears Nikon finally gotten more serious about DSLR video after basically ceding that share of the market Canon. The D800 will offer two video modes for 1080p at 30/25/24 fps and 720p at 60/30/25/24 fps and pack in both CF and SD memory card slots.

The LCD screen on the back will be a little larger than most at 3.5 inches.

The autofocus system is rumored to be the same 51-point AF with 3D Focus Tracking, similar to other high end Nikon models. It’s not known yet if that includes the continuous-focus scene recognition engine.

The Nikon faithful are already arguing whether the photos are real, but if not they’re some of the best mock-ups I’ve seen.

Only time will tell.

Top Six Lenses Given As Gifts

You gotta love statistics. It gives you the ability to slice and dice data and make discoveries of interesting trends, like the top six lenses that are purchased as gifts, as compiled by Amazon.

1) CanonEF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

Canon EFS
Canon EF-S 55-250mm

The Canon EF-S 55-250mm f4-5.6-IS lens is designed for the consumer market with EF-S mount cameras, primarily APS-C models. This model will not work well with full frame cameras like the Canon 5D MKII. The big selling point is having a long zoom range with built-in image stabilization.

This lens has received some criticism for feeling like plastic, but overall gets good marks from users.

2) Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens

Canon 50mm f/1.8
The Canon 50mm f/1.8

The Canon “Nifty-Fifty” 1.8 lens is a must for any camera bag.  It’s small, sharp, fast and inexpensive.  A great lens for any kind of general shooting duty, including portraits and walking around.

Has been criticized for feeling like plastic and noisy focusing motors, but what do you expect for $100?

 

3) Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6

Canon EF 75-300

A very light and inexpensive lens for the focal range. While the build quality is mediocre, the lens generally gets decent reviews from users.

Criticized for being soft at the wide end at lower f-stops, the clarity improves as you stop down. Focusing speed is okay, but not fast.

 

 

 

4) Nikon Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6

Nikon Nikkor 55-200mm
Nikon Nikkor 55-200mm

A lens criticized for the plastic mount, but praised for high quality optics and excellent clarity. Considered by many to be the telephoto lens deal of the decade.

 

Handling does take some care not to chip the plastic mount.

 

5) Nikon NIkkor 35mm f/1.8

Nikon Nikkor 35mm
Nikon Nikkor 35mm

This inexpensive hero from Nikon is frequently the one that gets left on cameras the most often. Fast focusing and versatile, this lens gets high marks from Nikon shooters.

Criticized for feeling like plastic and being a little slow on the focus.

 

 

6) Nikon Nikkor AF-S 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G

Nikon Nikkor AF-S 55-200
Nikon Nikkor AF-S 55-200mm

Another Nikkor lens that gets high marks for clarity, light weight, and optics but criticism for the build quality. Another point of contention is the noisy autofocus. A lens popular with many weekend sports enthusiasts.