We have all admired a photo of a drop of water at some point. Water can be a beautiful object of photography. Its brightness, its transparency and the unpredictable shapes it takes when it bounces make it the object of desire of many, professionals and amateurs alike.
Would you like to be able to capture a drop of water in its moment of maximum splendor and freedom? Today I am going to explain to you in 8 simple steps how you can perform this photographic technique and get a drop of water without dying of despair.
WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO CAPTURE A DROP OF WATER?
I do not hide from you that photographing a drop of water (doing it well) is no small feat, it can be one of the most difficult photographic jobs, especially for someone who is still starting in photography. Water is transparent, and your camera has a hard time focusing on things that are transparent or have no color (have you ever tried to focus through window glass?).
On the other hand, nothing moves faster or wilder than water. It is unpredictable and its movement is very fast like prey fleeing from its captor.
If you want to capture a drop of water there is only one way: be you even faster. Do you want to know how? Go for it.
NECESSARY MATERIAL
To capture the rebound of a drop of water we are going to need the following material:
- As is obvious, reflex camera.
- A source of intense light: window on a sunny day, external flash, softbox, or any strong light source.
- Cardboard that will serve as a background.
- A full glass of water. To overflow.
- Some object from which the water will drip into the glass: it can be a water bottle with a small hole, a very damp cloth, or anything that helps us to retain the water and let it drip slowly.
- Tripod
PHOTOGRAPH A DROP OF WATER IN 8 STEPS
Step 1: The first thing is to set up our small and improvised studio. We will place the background cardboard and in front of it we will put our glass glass filled with water until it overflows.
Tip: In order not to end up with the whole scene flooded with water, I recommend that you put the glass in a wide bowl or container. In this way the water splashes will not reach the table or the floor.
Step 2: You can produce the continuous dripping of water in several ways: a leaky bottle, a wet cloth, etc. In fact, I recommend that you experiment with whatever method comes to mind. In my case, the water-soaked cloth method works well for me. This is going to have to be secured somehow, so you either have a friend hold it for you, or you find some way to keep it secure so that it drips right on top of the glass of water. And now comes the important part, the camera settings.
Step 3: If you have a remote shutter, select the remote shutter mode on your camera (if you don't have it, no problem, skip to step 4), because this gives you more precision and less camera shake.
Step 4: Force the flash or set up your external flash or light source to have the scene well lit at the time of shooting.
Step 5: Mount the camera on top of a tripod. It will be useful for step 6.
Step 6: Now do a test focusing directly on the point where the drop of water falls. Although the camera has autofocus, please do not use it. No, poop!! With the autofocus mode it is very easy for your camera to make a mistake and mistakenly focus on the edge of the glass, the bottom, or any other unwanted element. If you want to do it right you have to manually focus yourself, take the focus measurement and leave it there. Remember, the focus point is lost if the camera moves, so in order to not lose that focus calculation the camera has to stay at the exact same point all the time. That's why I asked you in the previous step to get out your tripod. (On the right I attach a photo that I took badly focused on purpose so you can see an example with bad results. Click to enlarge).
Step 7: Then select Manual mode (most SLR cameras have an “M” symbol) and set the shutter speed to 1/1000 and the aperture to f/8.
Trick: The rate of fire has to be high in order to "freeze" the rebound of the water, however, there is no exact predetermined speed, you have to try. It is assumed that you use external flash or strong light so you can experiment with very high speeds. But experiment all the time. And learn to master Manual Mode with this mega guide that we have prepared for you, so that you lose your fear of it.
Step 8: Shoot. Shoot and shoot. Try to capture the meeting of the drop of water with the glass. You will see that it is difficult at first, but after a few photos you will start to synchronize your shot better and better. It is very important to synchronize the shot with the moment of the rebound of the drop.
Here are some tips and tricks that will help you achieve impressive results:
- The background cardboard can be white, but if you can use a colored one, better, preferably blue or yellow, although any color will give good results.
- If the photos come out dark, try lowering the shooting speed. For example, if at 1/1000 it comes out dark, try 1/600, and so on little by little until you find the right point. Be careful, if you slow down too much at the end you won't be able to freeze the drop.
- If instead of water you dare with another colored liquid, for example milk, you will get spectacular results. The color impacts, but try to make the background a different color.
- If you have a Macro lens, use it. You will succeed.
- Don't shoot from too high up. Try centered, side perspectives. And above all, do not limit yourself, shoot horizontally and vertically.
- Do not neglect the issue of focus. It is very frustrating to believe that you have it well focused and once on the computer discover that the photos were out of focus.
As you can see, getting a good photo of a drop of water may seem somewhat difficult, but I assure you that as soon as you seriously consider it and have the preparations as described above, you will obtain magnificent results. The most important thing is to take all the time you need.
