will47 Loc: Indianapolis, IN

I have an incredible amount of difficulty shooting when water is a background. I shoot a lot of birds on water and rarely do I get a photo I am satisfied with. Does anyone have any helpful tips on this type of photography? Thanks.

spaceylb Loc: Long Beach, N.Y.

Polarizing filter

bittermelon

Maybe post one of the shots you are dissatisfied with?

williejoha

Shooting birds on water can be tricky. I use spot metering so any reflections of the water have little influence on the exposure. You may also bump up the ev by a notch or to if the subject is backlit. MTC
WJH

User ID

If using AE set “+1” and a 3 frame bracket as a learning method. You can do the same in manual exposure by fudging the meter scale pointer +1 EV and including the same 3 frame bracket.

Reviewing your results will teach you what you need to know to get beyond the learning method routine.

Grahame Loc: Fiji

You don't explain what you are not "satisfied" with.

Is it the resulting exposure (brightness) of the subject/water, or, the fact that water does not always make a good background?

tcthome Loc: NJ

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

I see lots of portraits with bright high key backgrounds. Just an observation. No distractions, just keep,it from blowing out on the hilights.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Exposure compensation.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

Generally problematic when shooting wildlife. You don’t want to be giving up any stops that will slow the shutter speed and autofocus speed. The OP didn’t specify that his problem with water is the reflections. I often take advantage of reflections when composing my shots.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

Ditto - what is the nature of the problem?

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Using a CPL filter, bracketing exposure, and considering other ways of shooting and processing to manipulate dynamic range are all good approaches to rendering detail in the water. Another issue that has not been discussed is how the ANGLE OF INCIDENCE factors in. It's something that studio shooters consider because they can move around the light and the subject to control the intensity of refections, feater the lights, skim textures withte the edge of a light beam, etc. Out of doors, all you can do, out of doors weh shoot landscapes or wildlife, is move your camera position to alter the angle of refection toward the camera.

The rule is, as per the attached diagram, the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. So...if the sunlight or majority of the skylight is striking WATER at point "A" on the diagram and the CAMERA is at Point "B" the reflection of the water will be more intense. If the exposure for the subject is less than the background, you will wash the background out. Sometimes just moving the camera slightly, upward, downward or sideways will alter the angle enough to retain more detail.

Of course, time of day and if the direction of the light causes it to skim the water, you will record more texture if there are currents or waves.

Of course, with wildlife, moving animals and birds, it may be difficult to do anythg others than shoot fast and capture the action so you shoot for the subject and let the background go where it may.