How do SLR cameras take pictures of dripping water?

To learn how to shoot the splash effect of water droplets, you need to understand some basic principles. First of all, unlike waterfalls and rivers, photographers need more patience to shoot water droplets, because one of dozens of photos will be successful. This shooting method requires quick response. In order to shoot water droplets, it is best to set the camera to continuous shooting mode.

Secondly, the camera needs to stop moving to prevent the water droplet photography from becoming blurred. This will require a shorter shutter speed from11000 to 1/2000. Another feature is that the depth of field is not very shallow, that is, the aperture value is at least f/5.

The third condition is to shoot water droplets, and you will need a strong light source or greater light sensitivity.

Fourth, to create a beautiful background, we need colored paper, colored plastic or other surfaces, and water droplets need transparent cups. Using these simple objects, beautiful water droplets can be obtained.

Finally, in order to avoid glare on the water surface, it is best to aim the light source at the colored background, not at the water droplets themselves.

Specific shooting steps:

Step 1. Prepare shooting position. For example, the camera is installed on the tripod on the left, the lighting lamp is used for lighting (installed on the right), and the light is aimed at the colored background. It must be pointed out that this example is only used to demonstrate the general setup. In order to illuminate the water droplets beautifully, it is best to put the light source on the back of the glass.

Step two. Prepare a bowl filled with water and a source of dripping water.

Step three. Mount the camera on a tripod. You will need a macro lens, but if not, you can use a lens with a macro ring (such as Jupiter 37A and a set of macro rings, which are cheap and of good quality). If you have a soap box, please put it in macro mode. But remember, it is not easy to get high-quality images with its help. Canon Powershot G9 is the most suitable soap box for this kind of shooting powder box.

Step four. Set shooting parameters. Please note that the shutter speed is shorter. In this example, the shooting parameters11250, f/6.3, ISO 500 are used.

Step five. Put the camera in focus mode M (manual focus mode). Focus on testing water drops or anything put into the bowl. When using manual focusing, the position where the water drops fall must match. Perform some tests to ensure that the droplets are clean.

Step six. The main secrets of success are the number of photos and your flexibility. However, even in such an unpredictable story, the more careful the photographer is, the better the photos will be.

Try the location of the camera and lights. In addition, to get interesting results, you can:

A) change the background (even indoor plants can be used as the background)

B) Change the falling height (the higher the bottle, the more it falls)

C) Dye the water dripping from the bottle: the water in the bowl is transparent, and the water in the bottle is colored, which will produce interesting effects.

D) Change the direction of light: Water looks different at different light incident angles. Water drops look best in backlight.

E) Change the shooting point: Please note that in the above example, the camera is almost at the height of the droplet, while in the example of step 4, the droplet is shot from above.