Spish Splash! How to shoot a water drop splash... It's a learning curve!

Stand by for some mad scientist results. Yesterday I spent several hours shooting in my carport/studio trying to master the art of stop action photography with a water drop hitting a surface. There is a lot more to it than meets the eye - A LOT MORE!

Shooting on the white bed cover of my truck, I'm using a clear tumbler and a three foot drop. The camera is sporting a 270mm lens focused at about two feet. Closer and the camera gets splashed.





We need some color so I placed a blue colored plastic sheet under the tumbler and then switched the tunbler for a bit larger bowl... The splash changed shape somewhat for the better, I think.







I learned that timing the shot is critical. Too early and you get a splash shaped like a crater with fringe around the edges... This shape changes into a deep round valley with a ridge built up. As the ridge rushes in to fill the hole it spouts a central column upward. Mostly you try and get something good - mostly you don't. Understanding where you are in the cycle with the quick review you can try to fine tune your click a bit sooner or later.

I'm thinking a shallow pool for the splash might sharpen the plume I'm seeking so I changed to a puddle formed on the plastic piece alone - no container... Did I mention this got very complicated?


Then I tried a saucer and a new color - black...





At some time in here I changed the drop to a six foot drop... New color alert. This is a red plastic plate. A bit deeper and a lot redder!



I'm still not satisfied but I think I learned a lot and a working setup is getting closer. Future options will include lower drop height, colored water, faster drop rate, selecting the angle the camera is pointed, lighting experiments are ongoing. and the list goes on and on...

I just remembered I need to dry my white lab coat off...

Water drops are like Cabbage Patch dolls. No two are ever alike! Great job. I always find the most challenging thing is the focus of the water when it drops. Plus I have never had a collision. Oh well if everything was easy I would be so bored!!

I like the blue 'crown' - classic, you captured that well. Never tried anything like this myself but find it interesting. Don't know if you're familiar w/Edgerton - another 'mad' scientist - at MIT. You'd probably enjoy 'Drops and Splashes', under Galleries.
edgerton-digital-collections.org/galleries/iconic
web.mit.edu/Edgerton/

I'm familiar with him now. Thanks for the link. He does some amazing work. A lot of his images were made way back in the fifties.

Nice work Charles surprised you have the time being so close to xmas

You have inspired, so i thought i would share my trials this one wasnt as flawed but i want to change the background color

Interesting series Charles,lots of fun for you i`m sure!!

Your shots look quite cool, but I see the water drop shoot as a cliche that's a little overdone.

I've never done it myself for that very reason.

I'm killing time until my strobe light gets here. Then I'm going to get some golf balls wet. Kind of a aqua hole-in-one.

For a minute there I didn't see the world "golf".

I had to go back and add the word golf...

Once you get the strobe I'll be curious to see what you can do next with these type shots. If you have the interest in something, go for it.

Very cool shots ....Sounds like you put a lot of time in to it and I think they came out really good

Charles.,.. getting adventurous with the camera I see... Now you got me thinking... to expand on my running faucet photos....

Nice series of shots I must say... Look forward to seeing more and what you come up with next.

chasrich wrote: I had to go back and add the word golf...

Good idea, don't want the young kids getting any crazy ideas.