Using slow shutter speeds

I have been trying out using slow shutter speeds to try and get a freeze effect on the water in the two photos posted. Im new to this technique and other than having your camera set on a tripod are there any other hard and fast rules to observe. Any tips are more than welcome as any remarks good or bad on the photos.
Ian
[IMG]http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/philstaff/b-2.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/philstaff/a-1.jpg[/IMG]

The effect you have chosen is very nice. With flowing water, depending on the shutter speed, we can get from an ethereal mist to frozen droplets, and all the effects in between.

If going for ethereal mist then very slow speeds are needed and I think it's helpful then to have something sharp in the scene that we can latch on to.

These are fine as they are. Other effects are possible according to taste!

Thanks John ever the helpful one. John you say very slow shutter speeds what sort of settings are you talking of.
Ian

This post on another forum has some from 4-13secs,
http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/69416-selection-waterfalls-s...

Spooky when you see the users name - MRRiley (Mr. Riley).
Some beautiful images in that thread.

Yer thats what Im trying to create have a bit to learn though lovely shots. One was taken using a shutter speed of 13 seconds how do you get around not blowing out all the detail at so long an exp.
Ian

Some people (around here also) hate this silky milky moving water effect.
Personally I love it. And the examples of Mr.Riley are very good ones.

And so are the ones posted here. But be careful with blown out highlights.(nr.2) Try to underexpose so you have more latitude to work with in PP.

Martin.

Yes, they are nice.

If you need longer shutter speeds (and don't stop experimenting at 13 seconds) then small apertures, but if that isn't enough then ND filters to cut down the light even further.

Thanks Martin as said this is a new area for me but something a bit different to expand on. As said one of the photos had an exp of 13 seconds to get the effect, now if I tried that today the photo would just have been blown out. How do you get around the problem is there some sort of filter you can use to lower the amount of light comming into the camera ?.
Ian

Obviously this type of pictures work best in low light levels.
So early morning or at the end of the day. As an alternative.....try creeks and small rivers deep in the woods in overcast weather conditions. Just avoid this kind of pictures from 11.00 till 17.00 hours on sunny clear days.

During PP it is easier to bring up the shadows (and accept some noise) than to bring down the highlights, and keep detail).
An other way is making several exposures (exposed for the shadows and for the highlights) and merge them together afterwards.

Martin.

Cheers Martin Im going to be a bit busy I can see but it's good fun to learn new skills it will keep me out of the pub anyway LOL.
Ian