Water Drop Photography at Home.
Water drops from my sink, slow drops one at a time. As I watch it hit the surface of the water filled kitchen sink it splashed and for a brief moment you can see the different shapes each drop made as they collide with more water. Capturing this moments is one of my favorite challenges in photograph, those only for a blink of an eye moments that captivate the imagination.
Everything and the Kitchen Sink
I have read of several different methods for water drop macro, many that can produce spectacular results. Some involve complicated set ups with high speed flashes, others can be simpler. For this article I will detail my simpler try athome approach which you can do with a kitchen sink, Macro lens, remote, tripod, DSLR camera and a Gorilla Torch Abjustable Tripod Lamp. For the multi colored waters drops that are in the gallery below I also used multi colored transparent binder sized stationary store bought folders.
I filled my sink up about 1/3 full and setup my tripod at almost full height. The camera I was using the Nikon D90 was mounted with a 105mm f2.8 lens The water level in your Kitchen sink vs height of your tripod and lens position is the first thing to work out. Turning the tap on slightly to see where the water falls I was looking for the best position to bring me in close to the action without casting a shadow over it. After a few test shots the next step was to set up an external light source, in this case a Gorilla Torch which is essentially a small almost pocket size adjustable light mounted on an adjustable gorilla style tripod. Perfect for use on a counter or table top. I also have a selection of transparent binder sized colored folders that I can use as filters when placed over the lamp. The results produced many different colors of water drops.
Autofocus worked well in helping me test and get as clear shots as possible however switching to manual focus once I was set helped tweaking my sharpness while also ensuring the focusing plane stayed the same from shot to shot.
Each shot I was set at 1/200 of a second and varied from f13 on most shots to f16 on a few others. I also used my pop up flash on rear sink to help freeze the action while maintaining an iso of 160 throughout the set. Being hands free from my camera was important for a couple reasons, the first being to reduce shake and prevent blurriness. The second was so that I could hold colored folders in front of the Gorilla Torch that was shining down into my sink.
The effects worked out quite well once I had adjusted for lighting. The key is to be patient and take the time in setting up your shots, try different settings to arrive at a look that you find appealing. Flash and shutter speed work together to freeze the action, getting the right flow of water from your tap whether it drips slowly or comes in a trickle can be tricky. Your shutter speed can be adjusted to capture any speed of water flow with the correct amount of light, I have captured drops that fall one at a time as well as singular drops from a steady trickle, and its a great way to understand your camera while experimenting. I highly recommend taking the time to try them out and have fun getting creative.