Distinctly Montana Magazine

Photographing Water

Think about it. Water is in those thunderheads that climb overhead like a mountainous sky-world. It takes the form of snow and ice; of geyser steam and early-morning fog; it fills the muscular Yellowstone River of spring, and lingers in the slow river of August.

Photographing water in any or all of those forms can really get your creative juices flowing. Three basic tips can improve the quality of those photographs.

First, white water and water with a lot of glare on it can fool your camera meter in the same way that snow can. Be aware of this and adjust your exposure accordingly, usually by allowing for a couple of stops worth of more light. Cameras vary with how they allow you to do this, so you need to understand your camera functions. Film is relatively inexpensive so don’t hesitate to bracket your exposure. Digital shooters can view the image and make corrections right on the spot.

Second, use filters. A polarizing filter is a very useful tool around water. It can minimize or eliminate unwanted glare. The filter performs this task most efficiently at an angle of approximately thirty degrees to the plane of your subject. Like a fisherman’s polarized sun glasses, this filter can allow you to see, and thus, photograph objects (like fish) just below the water’s surface. Like most filters the polarizing filterwill absorb some of the available light, so you will need to make the necessary exposure adjustments or set the camera up to do that for you.

When photographing in color, if you want to add mood to your water images, a blue filter like an 82 series will cool your image; a light orange-red like an 81 series will warm it. Just remember, when you use a colored filter it will add a cast to the entire photograph and not just the water. And, don’t forget that these filters will also absorb some of the available light.

Third, work with your camera’s shutter speed. It’s one of the most important things to keep in mind when photographing water because it can change the feeling and look of the image you capture. To freeze water in motion stay with shutter speeds in excess of 1/125th of a second. To blur the motion of a rivulet or rapid, giving it a cottony-look, use a slow shutter speed. Start with something in the neighborhood of 1/30th of a second and use progressively slower speeds for varying effect. Don’t forget to use your tripod.

Can’t get shutter speeds slow enough even with your lens stopped down to the minimum aperture setting? Try shooting when there is less available light. Or use a lower ISO film or film speed setting. A neutral density filter may allow you to better access those slower shutter speeds. These filters reduce the amount of light transmitted by your lens and are available in varying strengths. The greater the strength, the more light they block. Because they reduce light transmission evenly across the color spectrum, they will not cause a color shift in your image.

Whatever you do in photographing water, pack along your curiosity and your sense of wonder about this changeable element that nourishes all life. During a rainshower everything can appear veiled, as if seen from behind a translucent curtain. Photographs you shoot now will seem softened and just slightly out of focus. After the storm, explore out of doors for jewels of water caught in spider webs or on a Douglas Fir’s limber new needles. Use a macro lens to capture reflections caught in lingering raindrops cupped by bowled lupine leaves.

In bodies of water, watch for interesting reflections. Photograph the contrast between a little riff of ripples and quieter water in a pond. Capture the climb and fall of water over a river rock. Check backwater flows for interesting patterns of foam, or water-carried twigs and leaves.

Let photographing water introduce you to a refreshing way of seeing and experiencing our world.

Jenna Jenna Caplette migrated from California to Montana in the early 1970s, first living on the Crow Indian reservation, then moving to Bozeman where she owned a downtown retail anchor for eighteen years. These days she owns Bozeman BodyTalk & Energetic Healthcare, hosts a monthly movie night, teaches and writes about many topics.

World Renowned Equine Linguist

Freshly off a plane from Morocco, where she demonstrated communication with horses through body language and keen observation of the most subtle movements, Anna Twinney is back in Kalispell teaching her unique but comprehensive horse whispering methods.

Originally from the United Kingdom, Twinney, a veteran of the British Police has traveled the world helping horses with their people problems. She came to the states nearly two decades ago and initially studied with Monty Roberts, who came in to the limelight after the popularity of the major motion picture “The Horse Whisperer”. Over the years, her hands on experience, her dutiful observations of horses in the wild and her unique perceptions have developed into a way of interacting she calls “Reach Out to Horses”.

Twinney, with her sunny smile, blonde locks and lilting British accent seeks to help horse owners and lovers learn the language of the horse. She works to help them understand the energy and sometimes baggage they bring into a session with their horses. It’s all in an effort to create harmonious interactions that bring joy and happiness to both the horse and human. In addition to her desire to bridge the communication gap, Twinney is committed to helping nonprofits that help to rescue, rehabilitate and ready all types of equines. The vast majority of her work gives back financially to the facilities and programs she works with.

Twinney is fond of the adage “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail” … without a complete education in the subtle signals and movements horses employ to communicate, people are lost as to how to accomplish anything, Twinney explains.

“Usually, people use force, fear and gadgets to bend the horse to their will. Some people are cognizant that their choices are poor and some are oblivious, my mission is to give a voice to the horses and show people a way to work with compassion and cooperation not coercion,” Twinney states.

Twinney is working with a group in Kalispell this weekend, aiding them with more intuitive riding, understanding the subtle cues and energy of horses, and working to build confidence through the use of an obstacle course. Participants will be introduced to the telepathic nature of horses and other animals. Horses, dogs and other species do not speak English but do feel and read intentions. A solid example of this theoretical concept is a person who is afraid of an animal and the clear evidence showing the animal is aware of the fear. This is clearly illustrated with dogs and horses. Twinney explores this concept and helps people tap into their intuitive nature.

This summer will land Twinney in four different locations beginning July 25th in aid of untouched foals in Oregon, the treasured Nokota horses of North Dakota, unstarted rescue horses in Colorado and finally helping horses with their people problems in Wyoming. These four unique courses are designed for students who wish to expand their understanding into everything from babies, youngsters, wild and behaviorally challenged.

Anna These courses may be taken together or individually, but do require a pre-requisite. To learn more about what each course entails and the programs and horses that will be a part of the educational scope, follow the link: