My first attempt at water droplets

[Code]

I've wanted to try this for a while and finally got around to it, albeit somewhat quickly and crudely. I'll definitely be doing a round 2 after I build a setup so I can have a second color from above, and also a flow regulator of some sort so I can try colliding droplets. Also I need to try to capture the first droplet so there aren't any ripples already.

Here was my setup: baking pan filled with water, plastic syringe for water droplets, 2x Sigma EF-500 DG Super flashes pointed at the background firing wirelessly at 1/16th power (approx 1/10000th pulse length), Sony A700 + Sigma 105mm Macro on a tripod with wired shutter release, various backgrounds hung on a box behind the pan, manual mode 1/200th shutter, f/16, ISO 400.

Most shots were at about 1:2.5 magnification.

First, my favorite. The background was a red shirt with thin blue stripes...

http://code.smugmug.com/photos/600236895_cRiV3-M.jpg

This background was a plastic Sketchers bag...

http://code.smugmug.com/photos/600236832_UFPTf-M.jpg

http://code.smugmug.com/photos/600236702_k9XnF-M.jpg

A Target shopping bag... :rolleyes:

http://code.smugmug.com/photos/600236947_5qn6M-M.jpg

A checkered kitchen towel...

http://code.smugmug.com/photos/600237010_WGfDi-M.jpg

One of my wife's shirts...

http://code.smugmug.com/photos/600237201_zsGLj-M.jpg

http://code.smugmug.com/photos/600237144_BmGoJ-M.jpg

And finally, a patterned diaper bag...

http://code.smugmug.com/photos/600236771_p6QUC-M.jpg

I took about 150 shots total, so about a 1 in 15 keeper rate.

Round 2 will be whenever I find the time to build a 2-color setup :)

[Gdad]

Code- those are seriously cool! I like the Target-Bag shot the best- it looks like liquid peppermint candy. Nine work. :thumbsup2

[YesDear]

Did the strobes drive you crazy?

[Steve's Girl]

Did you take any photos of your set-up? Very cool!

[spinetnglr]

:thumbsup2:thumbsup2Awesome job Code :thumbsup2:thumbsup2...cant wait to see what you come up with next.

[RBennett]

VERY cool job!! Makes me want to go home and try it tonight! When you say "background" where are you putting these objects? Just above out of view from the lens?

[KarenAylwood]

Oh my gosh I love them!! These are awesome. I've wanted to set one of these up for myself- are you using manual focus or auto focus? I did a set up similar for my first photography class but didn't have lighting available. Now that I have a flash, it'd be much easier to get a good shot.

Something fun to do in the winter too when I'm going stir crazy wishing I had something to shoot :rotfl:

Nice job :thumbsup2

[Code]

Did the strobes drive you crazy?

err.. no?

Did you take any photos of your set-up? Very cool!

I set this up in our kitchen, which looks like a baby store exploded in it at the moment, so my wife won't let me post pics ;) I'll clean it up for next time.

VERY cool job!! Makes me want to go home and try it tonight! When you say "background" where are you putting these objects? Just above out of view from the lens?

Yep, behind the pan I had a box that I was hanging the various things from, with the strobes pointed at it. You light the object that the water is reflecting, not the water.

Oh my gosh I love them!! These are awesome. I've wanted to set one of these up for myself- are you using manual focus or auto focus? I did a set up similar for my first photography class but didn't have lighting available. Now that I have a flash, it'd be much easier to get a good shot.

Definitely manual focus, AF wouldn't work. I set the tip of the syringe in the water and got the tripod set up and camera focused using it as a reference.

[Code]

By the way, it was watching this episode of Time Warp (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoQ0DQpwwHU&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fstrobist.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F0 5%2Fhow-to-photograph-water-drops-with-one.html&feature=player_embedded) that inspired me to finally get this set up. At about 2:30 in the video, they start using two colors, and at 5:30 they collide droplets, both of which I want to do :)

[Quicklabs]

Wow! You did a great job!

[YesDear]

The reason I asked about the strob was it the rapid strobing can cause headaches in some

[GvilleDisneyDad]

Really cool images!

[ElizK]

Beautiful! Love the red one!

[JR6ooo4]

I'd love to see "target" upside down. If you have a spare moment to do that and repost it...

Nice shots. It's been too long since someone posted some.

thanks
Mikeeee

[Cory_D]

Great shots all around Code! The Target one definitely takes the cake though. Very cool.

[starstruck93]

WHOA! WONDERFUL!:yay::woohoo:

[ukcatfan]

Very nice. You have much more patience than me!