Which one of these do you like best?

[montanafan]

These are different exposures taken at the same spot. I was going for something a little different, but now I don't know if I prefer the more natural looking shot or the longer exposure that gives it more of a painted look. What do you think?

Edit: Oh, and the photo isn't important, it's just some moving water; the question is how much of the affect of the longer exposure do you like, more natural looking or more painted looking. (Sorry Odin.)

Photo 1
Photo 2
Photo 3
Photo 4
Photo 5
Photo 6

 

[OdiN]

Okay you fixed your post so I'll fix mine

 

[ROTC1983]

I think the painted look has a unique aspect to it. Maybe you can even make people attempt to differenciate if it is real or if it is a picture.

 

[OdiN]

I don't really like any of them. Subject isn't very good, neither is composition.

 

[montanafan]

Odin, of course you're not going to like the composition, it's just some water in a stream. I'm not asking about the quality of the photo, I'm asking about the affect.

Closer to regular exposure, more natural; or long/longer exposure more painted look to the photo.

 

[OdiN]

Well it just really depends on the subject. One method may be good for a particular subject and composition but not look as good as something else in a different situation. So I can't really say based on that photo.

Also - your exposure should remain the same though all the photos. You don't really want to under of overexpose a shot.

You adjust the look of this photo in particular by altering shutter speed - and in order to keep the exposure the same you use a combination of aperture and ISO or adding ND filters to the lens.

With moving water photos I generally don't like a fast shutter speed that freezes the water.

 

[montanafan]

Yeah, I know, I've never tried getting any kind of affected look to photos of water, but I'll be going hiking in the Smokies before the summer is over and I've seen some nice slowed down affects on waterfalls before and thought I might try it when I go down there. I just don't know how far to push it or not and I don't want to take 25 photos of each waterfall or stream when I'm there to try to figure it out.

Oh, and before anyone asks, I couldn't find any waterfalls around here today, had to settle for the stream.

 

[OdiN]

Streams and waterfalls are quite different. And if you don't take a lot of photos, you may not learn what to do in the future

I'll assume you are looking for something kinda like this.

That was in early morning light. ISO 100, f/22, 10 Seconds

Long shutter speed, but early morning and I also had a circular polarizer on the lens in that shot.


Another Example

That was mid-day light with some cloud cover. ISO 100, f/20, 1/5th second


Of course for longer exposures you need to use a tripod and cable release for best results. If you don't have a cable release the self timer function works as well.

 

[montanafan]

Thanks, Odin. I'm pretty experienced at shooting sports, but I'd like to branch out into other subjects and do a little experimenting. Thought I'd give nature and landscapes a try before the summer is over.

I used the tripod and a cable release with these. Most were ISO 100 or 200, aperture was 32 or 22, it was early morning and I ran the gamut of shutter speeds.

This is most what the spot looked like at the time.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d112/montanafan/IMG_0150a.jpg

I know I'll have to practice a lot to get things the way I want them, but I only have so many memory cards and I don't want to take my laptop with me, so I thought I'd try to get it figured out here before I go.

Edit: Oh, and that first waterfall pic you posted is most like what I was going for. Thanks.

 

[j00fek]

6

 

[montanafan]

Thanks to every one who has voted or commented. No overwhelming leader yet, so I'm bumping for the evening crowd to see if that makes a difference.

 

[Shawn]

they all kinda look the same to me.

 

[clamum]

I picked photo 5, but it was between that one and photo 1.

The ones with the faster shutter speed are too dark... and number 3 is ok but a little too bright.

 

[montanafan]

Thanks again to those who voted and/or commented. I guess I can take from this that most people like a pretty slow shutter speed that results in a sort of painted look, but not too much of one.

 

[atybimf]

5