Creekside with a Leica M3

Hiking the forests around Oregon’s Mount Hood is a source of great pleasure.  Recently, I hiked along a favorite crook with my Leica M3 loaded with Portra 160 film. I’ve photographed mountain creeks a lot in the past with digital cameras, often with tripods.  Ever since I have been bitten by the film photography bug, I have used the M3 a lot to capture the cold, clear water flowing down beautiful mountain creeks.

The camera has been surprisingly effective in this kind of photography.  I have not bothered with a tripod.  Instead, I used the Leica handheld with shutter speeds around .15 of a second which I have found sufficiently blurs the water while maintaining the texture I desire in the water.  I don’t know what it is about the shutter button on the M3 but it is easy to press it with little or no camera shake.

There is, of course, much more to see along a mountain creek besides cold, clear, pristine water.  There are remote cabins and wonderful vistas in old growth forests.

But the creek is the big attraction.  The M3 is a great companion as I sit by the creek, marveling at the water and immersing myself in its sound.  Northwest creeks are messy with all manner of woody debris in them.  Clean compositions are not easy to find but I don’t mind.  The fallen logs and branches give these creeks their character.

Before I got my M3, I had the impression that it was mainly a documentary or street camera.  I was wrong.  I use it for most anything.  It is a lot of fun to use in the great outdoors.  See my previous piece about using the M3 at altitude in the winter.  The following are a few tips you might think about if you use it along a creek.

Think carefully about what speed film you want to use if you, like me, do not use a tripod or filters.  160 film was fine for this day but forest scenes can get very gloomy and dark.  Think ahead about what you might encounter.  400 or even 800 ISO film might be necessary if things get really dark.

I rarely shoot looking downstream.  I think water generally looks best for an Image when your camera is pointed upstream.  Looking directly across the stream can work as well.

if you use an M3, don’t be afraid to use low shutter speeds.  With good technique or a prop for the camera, you can easily go down to 1/15, 1/10, perhaps even slower. I love the shutter button on the M3.

I’ve taken a lot of creek images with digital cameras, including with tripods.  You obviously can get some extremely slow shutter speeds.  I used to take a lot images with a tripod at a second, a half second or a quarter second.  The water can look lovely.  But I’ve come to prefer faster speeds for more texture.  Just a personal preference.

Even light is so much easier.  I think this is true for digital or film.  Cloudy days are so good for shooting creeks or waterfalls.  No worries about high contrast in your scene as you try to get the shutter speed you prefer.

Watch your step around creeks.  There are plenty of things to stumble over.  If you have high boots, it is always fun to wade into the water for an interesting perspective. However, as I have found out, submerged rocks can be very slippery.

I hope this article inspires you to get out into the woods or explore a mountain creek with your film camera.  At the very least you can revel in the awesome beauty that surrounds you even if your photographic efforts fall short of your expectations.  I never regret a minute in the natural world.  Thanks for reading this!  You can see more of my work at curtisheikkinen.smugmug.com.

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