The Magic of Water

“If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.”

—Loran Eisely, The Immense Journey, 1957

Nature’s magical moments—those rare moments when stunning light and mood come together perfectly—these are the moments all nature photographers chase. Figuring out when and where these magical moments will occur is something I talk about frequently in my articles and instructional books, including my recent ebook Chasing the Light. I’ve written quite a bit on the subject, more than I can reasonably present here, so I’ll sum things up and focus on the one key ingredient to creating powerful nature photos: moisture. Believe it or not, it is simple H₂O—water—that can make all the difference between taking good nature photos, and taking great ones.

Don’t believe me? Think about it for a moment. Water makes clouds, which can light up with color at sunrise and sunset. Water is responsible for rainbows and fog, sunbeams and morning mist clinging to the surface of a lake—oh, and it makes the lake too (an extra bonus which leads me to water’s next virtue). Water reflects the world around us in a stunning full color display. Water, freshly fallen, saturates the colors of spring and fall foliage, turns babbling brooks into roaring waterfalls, and bedews flowers with liquid diamonds. Water enhances mood, filters light, and can turn even mundane scenes into the sublime.