http://www.digitalcameraworld.com MARCH 2021 DIGITAL CAMERA^73
Time your shots
Master the most challenging aspect of a water-drop shoot
Control the water drops
Water beauty
If you want to focus on water
drop collisions like these, a trigger system
such as the SplashArt Kit (£179, http://www.
phototrigger.co.uk) gives you more control.CAMERA COLLEGELike telling a joke, the
key to water-drop
photography is getting your
timing right. Whether you’re
going for water drop collisions,
‘dancing domes’ or a more
‘solid’, sculptural take on the
subject, as shown here, the
moment you trip the shutter
and fire the flash is important.
Be prepared to fill multiple
memory cards when you’re
shooting water drops, as
the misses will definitely
outnumber the hits. Set your
camera to its continuous drive
mode and switch off any
features that may slow downyour shooting rate. You may
be able to achieve a faster
burst if you use a DSLR
viewfinder rather than the Live
View screen, for example. To
avoid inadvertently nudging
the camera, use a remote
release to take the pictures.
The trick is to capture the
‘up-splash’ as the drop hits
the liquid below. Once you’re
in sync with the rhythm of the
drops, fire in short bursts to
improve your chances of
capturing the peak moment.
Don’t delete images in-camera,
though: some of the ‘misses’
can be interesting, too.Sharp contrast To achieve the dark water surface, a flashgun
was placed on either side of the glass and aimed at the backdrop.Liquid assets Keep some of the less interesting shots, as you can
always add some of their elements to other photos using software.There are several commercial options
that enable you to control the drops,
and to regulate factors such as the interval
between drops and the lag between the water
dropping and the flash being fired. You don’t
need that sort of kit when you’re starting out,
though: a water bottle with a pinhole in the
base, or a pipette suspended above a
glass or a bowl, will do just fine.
To regulate the flow of water when you’re
using a bottle, stick a piece of electrical tape
over the hole. Make a hole in the lid and stick
a piece of tape over that, adjusting its position
to speed up or slow down the flow of drops.