Six-stop filters, a steady tripod and a lot of patience. Settings, mistakes and the look I chase when the rivers are full.
Monsoon is the best and worst time to photograph the Western Ghats. The rivers are full and furious, the greens are impossible, and the light is soft for hours — but you will be wet, your gear will be wet, and you will spend half your time wiping the front element.
The settings I start with
A six-stop ND, ƒ/11, ISO 100, and whatever shutter speed that leaves me — usually one to six seconds. A polariser on top to cut the glare off wet rock. Mirror up, two-second timer, and a tripod planted like I mean it.
Silky water is easy. Silky water that still looks like water is the whole craft.
The mistake is dragging the shutter too long until the water turns to fog. I want motion you can feel, not a blank white smear. Start short, lengthen until it reads right, and stop one step before it looks fake.
