Using water in Landscape Photography

I love being near to water and it plays an important part in much of my landscape photography work. Living on the Isle of Mull off west coast of Scotland I am never too far away from water, not only is Mull surrounded by water there are also many inland lochs that have much to offer.

Water is constantly moving and this movement can add real impact to landscape photography compositions. In the small selection of images showing the use of water in landscape photography there is water that is calm, rough and reflective, and with good camera technique this water can appear to be ‘frozen’ or with the use of a slow shutter speed it can become blurred to convey movement.

Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.
– Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, 1798

It is often a good idea to use a polarising filter to saturate the colours and reduce some of the reflection when creating images with water in the landscape. Artistically filters can have a great impact on your photography and the effect of a polarising filter is just about the only filter that cannot be recreated on the computer.

Loch Maree, Wester Ross

Loch na Keall at sunset, Isle of Mull

Loch Torridon from Red Point, Wester Ross

Loch Bearnach in winter sunset, Isle of Mull

Incoming tide, surf and seaweed

Toward the Isle of Skye at sunset from Red Point, Wester Ross

Rocks and surf

Tranquility at Loch Gairloch, Wester Ross

Loch Torridon, Wester Ross

As ever I am pleased to receive your comments and feedback on these water images, please share to social networks if you would like to spread the word.

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