LONG EXPOSURE - FILTERS CAN SAVE THE DAY

On a recent trip to the Great Smoky Mountains, the mission was to photograph water.  I know there is a variety of opinions regarding water images.  Several photographers that I admire, suggest there should be some texture in the water flow, and they avoid a shutter speed slower than 1 second.  Of course, the shutter speed is determined by how fast the water is flowing and how much texture you want in the image.  I usually follow the advise of the experts since they are the experts.  Generally, the sweet spot for me is 2 seconds.

However, as with many things in life, how you photograph water is purely subjective.  I already had envisioned this ghostly look before leaving the hotel room that morning and I was confident I would get the look I was going for because I had a variable ND filter in the bag.  Once I set up the composition, all I had to do was experiment with the dial until I got the look I was hoping for.  It's a good day when a plan comes together.