where to start,water drops.

powell7

powell7

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Name
chris
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been looking at peoples photos of water drops on here and would like to give it a go.
i`v only just started so please bear with me.
how do i set up close without getting all my gear wet??
how do you get the different colours?
do you have the tap dripping or is there some little trick with a bag or something?
would a 18-70 lens be ok?
thanks chris.:)
 
Chris
Simple way is to get a container, some tube and a plastic valve from an aquarium shop.
Put the container high and the valve low to get the siphon effect, adjust the valve to the desired flow rate. Some card or fabric for a BG. Try and get camera to about the 90 degree position to the drop for shooting.

Allan
 
I use the inline valve flow control .. 80p on there ;)
 
back to the subject I asked!!
 
powell7 said:
been looking at peoples photos of water drops on here and would like to give it a go.
Click to expand...

Good!

powell7 said:
how do i set up close without getting all my gear wet??
Click to expand...

Pop a UV filter on the front of the lens to protect it if you like :) You can shoot from a little distance away to avoid most of the droplets too, which also works. And cover the camera with a sheet if you like.

powell7 said:
how do you get the different colours?
Click to expand...

Food colour, and mixes of water/milk.

powell7 said:
do you have the tap dripping or is there some little trick with a bag or something?
Click to expand...

As everyone else has said, I use aquarium airline tubing and a restrictor valve made by Algarde, you can get them from ebay. Just syphon out of a bottle of liquid :)

powell7 said:
would a 18-70 lens be ok?
thanks chris.:)
Click to expand...

I would have thought so :D
 
finaly,thanks for your help,will be trying tomoz night and will post the results(y)
 
right had my first go 2night.
can anyone tell me why i cant get my shutter speed faster than 160th?
i`v tryed in M and S(its a sony by the way) and when i manualy pop the flash up i cant go faster than 160th,is it because i`v not got enough light?
if i put the flash back down i can go faster but dont get enough light in so the photos realy dark.
anyway here are the best 3,what do you all think,anygood?
thanks chris.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f70/carppowell/028.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f70/carppowell/030.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f70/carppowell/029.jpg
 
powell7 said:
right had my first go 2night.
can anyone tell me why i cant get my shutter speed faster than 160th?
i`v tryed in M and S(its a sony by the way) and when i manualy pop the flash up i cant go faster than 160th,is it because i`v not got enough light?
if i put the flash back down i can go faster but dont get enough light in so the photos realy dark.
anyway here are the best 3,what do you all think,anygood?
thanks chris.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f70/carppowell/028.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f70/carppowell/030.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f70/carppowell/029.jpg
Click to expand...

With the inbuilt flash you can't go any faster than that shutter speed.

HOWEVER, you don't need to. If you do the pictures in a darkened room, and use the flash, the effective speed is that of the flash, much quicker than the shutter speed. See my other thread... those pictures were with a 2 second shutter speed. It's pitch black, but as the flash fires, that's the only image captured on the sensor.

Do you get me?

As for the pics, nice start, for sure :) I'd decrease the aperture if you can to increase the depth of focus though (y)
 
i`ll have a look,thanks for your help(y)
 
thankyou,i`m happy with them for now.i had to put a bowl under the tap as iv got a valve on order from the fish shop.found it hard to get the drips in a steady order but still loving it anyway.
 
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If your waiting for the valve why not try the trick of hanging a plastic bag above a bowl and putting a pin prick into it you end up with a steady stream of drops in the same spot each time.

Have a look at PhotoGavin's Channel over on YouTube he's full of good advice.http://www.youtube.com/user/PhotoGavin#p/search/1/fwExpFDUC9Y
 
powell7 said:
got my valve today and had another go.
the photos seem abit poor,i`m using an 18-70 lens.
how can i get better photos?
i cant seem to get much dof.
i only have the on camera flash.
have a look and any help would be great,thanks all.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f70/carppowell/021.jpg
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f70/carppowell/013-1.jpg
Click to expand...

They're much better! Still maybe increase the depth of focus.

The angle and form of droplet, and colours, in the first are superb :)
 
Chris when shooting macro there is no DOF you might get a couple of mm either way but that's about it. You could always add some extention tubes to the I whish list, or a macro lens which if you keep doing this sort of photography you will need to get. Then of course there is an off camera flash or two, the list just goes on and on.

Allan
 
I had a go at water drops tonight and apart from the valve that cost £1.25 it's all MacGyver stylee from there :)

I put a vacuum cleaner extension pipe over my tripods handle to make a boom, then got a washing liquid bottle and made a hole for my tubing to fit into the bottle. I then made a small hoe in the bottom of a carrier bag so i could put my washing bottle filled with water inverted with the tubing poking out. I filled nearly to the top a casserole dish, then just opened the valve and started shooting away using on board flash.

I will post some results later but it seems my daughter has beaten me to it anyway :LOL:

My setup
2hyys6p.jpg
 
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powell7 said:
been playing today,what do you all think?
anything else i could do to improve?
i cant seem to get anything near a collision,is it to do with the way you set the drop speed or the hight?
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f70/carppowell/020-1.jpg
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f70/carppowell/012-1.jpg
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f70/carppowell/007-1.jpg
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f70/carppowell/003.jpg
Click to expand...

Number 2 and 3 are bril! Really nice also :)

As for collisions, there is a picture and description of the technique and set up HERE.
 
great tips,thanks for your help (y)
i`ll try again!
 
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