Waterfall ?

Just starting out and have a few silly questions .
Why are almost all waterfall and moving water taken so that the water looks like a white stream ? I prefer seeing the actual movement of the water and am not sure about the reason .

Also my SIL , who has more experience than me , says you should ''cut off'' part of the head in portraits . Shouldn't you see the person's entire head ?

Thanks

JPB the elder wrote in post #17076210
Just starting out and have a few silly questions .
Why are almost all waterfall and moving water taken so that the water looks like a white stream ? I prefer seeing the actual movement of the water and am not sure about the reason .

That look you are referring to is, I presume, the "silky" look of the moving water. It's achieved by using a slower shutter speed, typically by using a filter so you can get a good exposure while using a slower shutter speed than would "normally" be needed.

The slower shutter speed then gives that silky look to running water, both fresh water and ocean scenes, and also can provide interesting effects of a sky with clouds in motion.

It's a "creative choice", though. You the photographer decide how to "view" the scene and how you prefer to render it! Sure, your view of the scene may see all those bits of water "frozen" in place, others may prefer the view of things in motion!!

Well again, that's "creative choice"...I myself prefer not to chop off heads in portraits, but then "portrait photography" is not my field, and so I haven't branched into the creative aspects thereof!!

JPB the elder wrote in post #17076210
Just starting out and have a few silly questions .
Why are almost all waterfall and moving water taken so that the water looks like a white stream ? I prefer seeing the actual movement of the water and am not sure about the reason .

If you prefer the more detailed look of flowing water, then I would say you should shoot it like that. You don't have to make water look like silk

For me personally theres just to much going on when I shoot pictures for example of a flowing river with fast shutter speed. I just love the silky look