How to take stunning waterfall photos with your iPhone
Waterfalls are fantastic photo subjects. Whenever I travel, I always plan my route, so I can photograph one or two waterfalls on my route. In this waterfall photography tutorial, I'll share a few tips and photography techniques that will turn your waterfall photos taken on iPhone from pure snapshots to awesome memories.
Table of Contents
Try taking a long exposure of a waterfall
By taking a long exposure photo of a waterfall, you'll create a silky water effect. But as the iPhone camera does not support long exposure photography, you'll need a third party app for such photos. In a previous blog post you'll find a list of iPhone camera apps for long exposure photography on iPhone.
Here's an example of a waterfall photo I took in Berlin. Yes, there's a waterfall in the middle of the city at the Viktoria Park. Learn where to find and about a few palces to take great photos it in my blog post about photo spots in Berlin.
Long exposure photo of a waterfall in Berlin. Shot on iPhone 7 Plus using Slow Shutter Cam App
I took this photo using Slow Shutter Cam app set to a shutter speed of 2 seconds and the ultra portable Gorillapod tripod for iPhone.
Photograph people next to a waterfall
If you've ever been to Iceland, you know about the vast size of waterfalls there. To convey the size of such impressive waterfalls, try capturing people standing next or in front of the waterfall, like I did for this photo of the Gulfoss waterfall in Iceland. There is no better way to convey the size of a waterfall (or any other object) in a photo.
People next to Gulfoss waterfall in Iceland. Shot on iPhone 6 Plus.
Can you spot the people standing on the rock next to the waterfall? I think that beautifully conveys the size of the Gulfoss waterfall.
Look for rainbows next to waterfalls
Depending on the weather and wind conditions, you may see rainbows next to a waterfalls, which makes a great photo. The best chance for photographing a rainbow at a waterfall is when the sun shines and a light wind blow.
If you can't see a rainbow, try to change your perspective but have your iPhone ready. Rainbows next to waterfalls appear and disappear quickly.
Rainbow at the Skogafoss waterfall in Iceland. Shot on iPhone 6 Plus.
To capture the rainbow at the Skogafoss waterfall in Iceland, I had to climb quite a few stairs to get to the top of hill.
Use portrait to photograph a waterfall
Okay, it may sound strange that someone (me) who loves the square photo format recommends taking photos in portrait mode. But photographing smaller waterfalls in portrait mode can result in great photos because you'll be able to capture the dimension of the waterfall. Combine that with a long exposure and you'll get a great photo.
And here's one of the rare non square photos I share.
Small waterfall in Styria. Shot on iPhone 14 Pro using Reeheld Camera app.
Editing tips for waterfall photos
This tip applies to a long exposure photo of a waterfall. When editing it, experiment with changing either highlights and white tones to adjust the intensity of the silky water effect.
