Photographing and editing water fountains - the best tips

In this practical tip, we give the best tips on how to take interesting pictures of water fountains and edit them with programs such as Adobe Lightroom.

Photograph the water fountain with an SLR camera

• When photographing water, the correct exposure time plays a crucial role. In order to show clear structures in the water, this should be chosen as short as possible.
• This can only be achieved if you photograph a water fountain in a very bright place and at the right time - for example in an open space with direct sunlight.
• Shutter speeds of around 1/1000 second or faster are optimal. So you can "visually freeze" the water.
• Set the smallest aperture number on your camera and increase the ISO value until you achieve a suitable shutter speed. However, make sure that an increased ISO value causes more image noise.
• Also work with an appealing image design. So the fountain should be clearly emphasized as the main motif. Avoid disturbing objects or colors in the background.
• If the camera allows it, take pictures in RAW format. So you can edit the photos much more extensively.

Reworking water fountains - the best tips

Depending on the program you use to edit images, there are different options and work steps. In our example we use "Adobe Lightroom". The following points serve only as suggestions and do not necessarily have to be implemented in the same way.

• If necessary, crop the image so that the fountain is optimally staged. It can make sense to place the fountain in the middle or according to the rule of thirds.
• Darken the areas around the water to direct the eye directly to the main subject. This works, for example, with a vignetting tool or by using gradient filters to lower the exposure in the edge areas.
• Increase the value for clarity and sharpness in the editing program. This is how you work out the structures in the water perfectly. You should also increase the contrast in these areas.
• If you move the white balance slightly into the bluish area, you will achieve a very cool and fresh look. This is often a sensible stylistic device, especially with water.
• You can also desaturate the image slightly. Since the water itself only appears white, it is brought into the viewer's focus more.

In the next article you will get the five best tips for underwater photography.