Water Drop Refraction (My way)

[Stagecoach]

Sometimes you just have to try something new and learning is so easy these days with the internet. But rather than spend time researching and doing things correctly there's always the trial and error method

Day 1 Nice colours


Day 2 Black water and it would have been so easy to get the bud parallel to the camera


Day 3 Clear water at last


Backgrounds for No1 & No3 supplied by Elements


Now I have the basics I'll use the knowledge to try and produce something 'appealing' but have to admit this is not an area of photography I will pursue.

Grahame

[James G]

Grahame, It's always a learning curve, but I guess that's where the fun ? is.
Of the three I like #2. The dark-light illumination is rather beautiful as a contrast to the bright oranges.

#3 is more the type of capture I have tried for in the past. The real difficulty, assuming you want to work primarily with natural lighting is literally that getting the right conditions for the capture is usually horrendously tricky to get right in my experience.

I lost loads of possible images because I ended up disturbing the scene, (and getting drenched in the process), or the light simply changed too quickly.

Now like you, I am happy to wait for something 'right' to present itself, rather than try to control too may variables!

James

[Kaye Leggett]

I like the trial and error method too....even if it does disappoint sometimes. These are fun and worth it for that alone. No 3 and 4 are my favourites.

[deetheturk]

Great first try Grahame,this is another technique i have yet to try,maybe one day?#2 and #3 are my favorite's Well done!

Cheers David

[Karm Redland]

Stagecoach, I really like your no. 2.

karm

[bnnrcn]

My best is#2

[Wavelength]

#2 is superb

[FrankMi]

I like your way Grahame! I particularly like the detail in #3.

How did you find these? Looking after a rain, or perhaps adding the drop of water somehow?

[Stagecoach]

Thank you all for the comments, I had posted these as a bit of fun and an example of the 'learning curve' results. Each was an experiment in itself to investigate lighting, DoFs possible and IQ.

The subjects were bits of plant and flowers bought in from outside and the water drop, glycerine added for some, placed there using a syringe.

DoF interested me in that water drops can only be produced up to a certain size (depth) so this would cause a limit which would very much determine what was possible IQ wise, forgetting stacking. As an example 2 & 3 are f32 and f29 respectively with minimal cropping.

Grahame

[Brownbear]

Thank you for sharing. I like #3 for the light, colour and background and because it looks like an insect on it's back reaching out for a big hug.

[Stagecoach]

Thank you for sharing. I like #3 for the light, colour and background and because it looks like an insect on it's back reaching out for a big hug.

Hi Christina, you have a good imagination.

No 3 lighting is interesting in that it was produced indoors at night but looks a bit like early morning light.

Yesterday I watched the hornets nest during a heavy downpour and both the nest and hornets were getting covered in water drops but no way I could photograph it without getting the camera soaked.

Grahame