CREATIVE PROJECTS
More ideas for drop shots
6
Exposure tweaks
Set the Exposure slider to +0.95 to brighten the image,
and set Contrast to +23. To reduce the slightly over-
exposed highlights set Highlights to -55 and Whites to -48.
Set Shadows to +23 to add some fill light, and set Blacks to
+10. Finally, push the Clarity slider up to +23 to enhance the
fine detail. Click Open Image.5
Crop for composition
Open the starting image in Adobe Camera Raw.
Click and hold the Crop tool icon to display the crop
options, and select the 2 to 3 ratio. Crop into the image to
remove some of the empty space on the left-hand side, and to
reposition the flower so that its centre sits in the middle of
the frame.7
Boost the contrast
In Elements, add a Levels adjustment layer, and set the
Shadows slider to 14 and the Highlights slider to 241
to fine-tune the contrast. Next, make sure the top layer is
selected and press Cmd/Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E to create a merged
layer at the top of the stack.8
Sharpen the image
To sharpen the image go to Enhance>Unsharp Mask.
Set Amount to 80
, Radius to 2 pixels and Threshold
to 0. Click OK to apply. Finally, go to Layer>Flatten Image and
save the image as a JPEG.You can combine flowers and water drops in lots of ways to create an array of effects
RAIN EFFECT
You can create spectacular effects with falling water.
Here we backlit the drops with off-camera flash –
you’ll need to sync your camera’s shutter speed
to around 1/250 sec. A dark backdrop helps the
illuminated drops stand out.DANDELION SEED
This dandelion seed head was photographed
indoors, with an LED ring flash as the main light
source. Spraying a fine misting of water over
the delicate seeds helps to create an ethereal
and abstract image.
PRETTY IN PINK
To get a close-up of this tiny flower we used a 68mm
extension tube to boost the magnification of our
macro lens. We used an LED ring flash to boost the
colours, and in Elements we cloned out the most
noticeable reflections in the drops.