Reflections

Water is not blue in it's purest form, it is clear, and reflects the colors around it, causing it to appear as different colors to the human eye. The ocean is blue because it reflects the blue sky; water in the rain forest is often greenish because it reflects the tree canopy above it.

Why is this important for photographers? Because this will help make your water pictures look truly amazing if you understand this concept.

If you want your water pictures a brilliant blue, look for a day when the sky is a particularly beautiful shade of blue. In small bodies of water the colors around it tend to have less effect on it's appearance. However even single drops of water will reflect objects. So in theory, you could take a picture of a single raindrop, hanging off a branch, with your reflection inside of it!

If you are taking pictures of large bodies of water and find that you have a lack of subject matter (i.e. boaters, fisherman, skiers, etc) you can try and find some creative reflections. There is room for a lot of creativity here.

Take note though, if the waters are too rough reflections will be distorted (which can also have an interesting effect), and if it's really rough there will be no reflections at all.