Picnic by a Mountain Stream

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to visit a small mountain stream near my home. A group of friends and I planned a picnic there. I’ve always been drawn to mountain streams with their rugged rocks and cascading waterfalls, and this one didn’t disappoint. It promised a day filled with picnicking by the stream, refreshing dips in the chilly water, and capturing some captivating motion blurs. It was shaping up to be a fantastic day.

The stream was just a little over an hour’s drive away. After a hearty breakfast, we decided to start our journey a bit later than usual. The weather turned out to be perfect—a sunny day with scattered clouds and a gentle breeze, a pleasant change from the usual rainy season.

My friends packed sandwiches and instant noodles for the picnic. I brought along my essentials: my tripod, a 25mm prime lens, a Hoya PRO ND 1000 filter, and my camera body. Just in case inspiration struck, I also packed a Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 AI-s lens for some potential macro photography.

However, in my excitement, I completely forgot to pack bathing trunks, a towel, and a cake that I had baked in the morning, for a more leisurely afternoon by the water.

As we set off for the stream in two cars, the fresh air brushed against my face while old Hindi songs played softly on the radio in my car. Each twist and turn of the road revealed new vistas before us. Though tempted to stop frequently for photography, I restrained myself, mindful that this outing was about more than just me—it was a shared experience with friends who valued the stream as much as I did. For me, the journey itself was as delightful as the destination, so we continued onwards.

Upon arrival, we parked the cars by the roadside and began unpacking. Everyone knew their role. I carried my camera bag and tripod, ready for the short trek to the riverside.

(Cascading mountain stream forming a ‘S’ through the rocks. These kind of curvy path breaks the monotony of straight lines. A little over half a minute exposure at f/22.)

The cascading water was irresistible. My hands itched to set up the tripod, and I became entirely absorbed in preparing my gear. As I worked, I heard the first splash, followed by several more. My friends were already swimming in a small pool, clearly enjoying themselves. At that moment, I realized I had focused solely on my photography equipment, completely forgetting to pack for the fun in the stream.

The light was exceptionally bright. Even with the ND1000 filter and the ISO set to 50, I had to use small apertures to achieve reasonably long exposures. The scene was so bright that, even with the neutral density filter mounted, I could still make out the scene through the darkened viewfinder. Though it took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the dimmer viewfinder, it was well worth it. No more planning the shot without the filter and then mounting it afterward!

I captured exposures of around 30 seconds each in ‘T’ mode: the first click opened the shutter, and the second click closed it. I used apertures ranging from f/11 to f/22 for these photographs. I don’t recommend using mirror lock-up or a timer function to reduce shake, as the 30-second exposure time is long enough that any microseconds of movement are a negligible fraction of the total exposure time, not affecting the image’s sharpness. I avoided using ‘B’ mode since it requires holding the shutter release for the duration of the exposure, which is too much hassle for me. After all, I needed time to enjoy the stream during the exposures!

I realized that after clicking the shutter release, taking a sip of ginger-ale and having a few pringles, and then washing my hands in the stream and wiping them on the handkerchief… takes around 30-40 seconds. Just in time to end the exposure! I am too obsessed with clean hands and so for me touching the camera with greasy hands is a strict no. Most of my long exposures on this picnic were timed according to the ginger-ale and pringles initially, and later by the number of wild berries I could munch on.

(Captured after getting my feet wet! Read on … )

The pictures were fabulous, but I felt the need to enhance the focus on the subject. I realized that positioning myself at the center of the stream and capturing photographs directly facing the flow would create more compelling images. It was time to get my feet wet (and my tripod too).

When placing a tripod in a flowing stream, it’s crucial to consider the force it will endure. The correct method involves positioning it so that the flowing water initially strikes one leg before reaching the other two. This reduces turbulence and lessens the strain on the tripod. Additionally, I recommend keeping the front leg—facing the flow of the river—slightly lower than the others. This adjustment shifts the center of gravity forward, enhancing stability and preventing the setup from tipping into the stream.

If you grasp these principles and are adventurous enough to experiment, go ahead. Otherwise, feel free to reach out to me for a detailed explanation on how to properly set up a tripod in a flowing stream. And remember, for most cameras not designed for underwater use, it’s imperative to keep the camera and lens dry and away from water.

(This is from my mobile phone camera. The tripod was set up in shallow waters then with just the half of the lowest section submerged. I did not capture its photo when it was submerged in deeper waters since I busy capturing photographs with the camera then. Notice how the legs are placed in respect to the flow of water.)

I was wet till my waist. Though I had taken off my shoes and curled the jeans above my knee, the water was a little more than expected. I carried my camera and tripod on my shoulder, securing them in the center where the riverbed was slightly elevated. The tripod legs were submerged up to the mid-level, with only the upper sections and center post remaining dry. To stabilize it, I placed the tripod’s feet on rocks found on the riverbed.

(From the center of flowing stream, for this photograph, two legs of my tripod were fully open and more than half submerged in water, where as the third leg was not extended at all and it rested on a large rock jutting out of the stream.)

After taking several photographs from the middle of the stream, I returned to dry land with my equipment and let the tripod dry in the sun.

Meanwhile, the instant noodles were cooking, and sandwiches were being passed around. It was picnic time. I had spent about an hour photographing the stream while my friends had taken a swim, finished off the beer (including some bottles they had hidden from me), and relaxed under the trees.

As I waited for the noodles, I spotted a beautiful butterfly. Most of us tried capturing its beauty with our phones, but only two of us managed to do it justice. I used my phone as well, letting my camera and the 105mm lens rest. Although my phone tends to oversaturate the colors, here is my attempt—admittedly not as nice as one of my friend’s shots, but still worth sharing.

The noodles were delicious, and a few magpies hopped by, hoping to join the picnic. However, we were extra careful not to leave any garbage behind, so the magpies were disappointed. Though the sandwiches had gone cold, I was famished and enjoyed them nonetheless. After eating, most of us lay down under the trees to relax, while I decided to head back to the stream.

(Rocks and the Mountain Stream – The contrast between the sharply focused rocks and motion blur of water is one of my favorite subjects. I can never get enough of it.)

This time, I hopped on to some large rocks near the stream and set my tripod there. The light was not as bright as before. Some clouds had gathered up. I could use f/11 and exposures of about 60 seconds for some more images.

Someone had gathered lots of wild berries from nearby bushes. I was also given a good number of those. I could eat three handful of berries in about a minute. That’s how I kept a count of my exposure time for these photographs.

While I was clicking these images, a faint drizzle started. The clear weather of the morning was gone. We were still a short trek away from our cars.

Everyone started hurriedly packing their stuff. I too finished my last exposure for the day and packed everything in my camera bag. There was no rain cover with me. I could only hope that the rain would not start too soon. We all hurried back to the cars. The rain stopped and the sky started to clear up again. Sad! I could have captured some more photographs. Well, there is always a next picnic. And this next time, I will not forget my swimming trunks and towel, and I will surely not forget my beer.

(For the rule-book camera bugs, that’s almost a rule of thirds for you! With the greens, stream, and the foreground rocks covering up almost a third of frame each.)

If you want to join me for the next picnic and photography, do let me know. We can plan it together.

I have also provided these photographs for use in marketing our homestay – Mountain Stream near Trinetra Mahadeva. Do check it out.

This article, originally published on my photography site, is now archived here; while some details may have lost their original context over time, it still offers an intriguing read.
Complete list of archived content – Photography Articles