Any way to catch H20 Collisions without a timing device?

[JustJazzie]

I would really like to try and kick my water drop stuff up a notch, but I don't see myself ever spending 500$+ on a timer. Are there any other methods for catching these? Any way to build a timer? My DH is pretty handy in the rigging department so if I found a tutorial or something he could probably figure it out.

 

[qleak]

You may want to consider a burette. That's the device used to titrate chemicals (in high school chemistry at least). You can set a reliable drip rate and time the photos accordingly. They even have burette clamps.

I think this is probably a better solution than a timing device anyway, those things have to be a pain in the ass to calibrate.

 

[Buckster]

I started with the timed drip, drip, drip method from a baggie with a tiny hole in it hanging from above the pan of water.

Then I stepped up a notch by building a DIY photogate trigger and timer found here:

HiViz - Kits - Photogate-Delay Unit Packages

My first test shot with it:

When something breaks the beam (like a drip or, in this case, a Sharpie pen), it triggers the circuit. The timer sets up a delay you can control to give the drip time to get from the beam to the splatter base or pan. I set the whole thing up on a DIY platform like this:

When I squeezed out a drop from the medicine dropper, it falls through the hole. As it passes between the light emitter and receiver, it triggers the circuit. The timer then delays it an amount of time I controlled, and then it fired the light at the precise moment of the splat that I wanted.

I now use a much more expensive trigger system, but that REALLY inexpensive DIY solution really worked well.

 

[Overread]

Buck has found the answer - a beam mixed with a timer that you can vary and then bolted to a shutter trip (or flash trip). That way you get your water drop breaking the beam and from then till it hits the surface will always be a fixed time so you can work from that to vary things. The only tricky area will be if you want to to collisions because unless you've a valve setup so that you can control the drops themselves you might find it a touch hit and miss trying to time drops just right.

Cognisys Inc - Capture the Hidden World
Has all the stuff you'd need if you want to buy it all outright from valves to trips to timer - you can even do complex multi-vale and multi-flash setups. Expensvie but something to keep in mind if you get really into it.

 

[JustJazzie]

I started with the timed drip, drip, drip method from a baggie with a tiny hole in it hanging from above the pan of water.

Then I stepped up a notch by building a DIY photogate trigger and timer found here:

HiViz - Kits - Photogate-Delay Unit Packages

My first test shot with it:

When something breaks the beam (like a drip or, in this case, a Sharpie pen), it triggers the circuit. The timer sets up a delay you can control to give the drip time to get from the beam to the splatter base or pan. I set the whole thing up on a DIY platform like this:

When I squeezed out a drop from the medicine dropper, it falls through the hole. As it passes between the light emitter and receiver, it triggers the circuit. The timer then delays it an amount of time I controlled, and then it fired the light at the precise moment of the splat that I wanted.

I now use a much more expensive trigger system, but that REALLY inexpensive DIY solution really worked well.

But how did you ensure you got a collision? Wouldn't it trigger for the first drop?

 

[Braineack]

I would really like to try and kick my water drop stuff up a notch, but I don't see myself ever spending 500$+ on a timer. Are there any other methods for catching these? Any way to build a timer? My DH is pretty handy in the rigging department so if I found a tutorial or something he could probably figure it out.

whatever you happened to do on that last set you posted on flickr, seemed to work out.

Those are some of the best I've ever seen.


I actually have a device called Megasquirt sitting on my desk right now. It's designed to control a car's spark/fuel, i bet I could get that to work in a few minutes

 

[JustJazzie]

I would really like to try and kick my water drop stuff up a notch, but I don't see myself ever spending 500$+ on a timer. Are there any other methods for catching these? Any way to build a timer? My DH is pretty handy in the rigging department so if I found a tutorial or something he could probably figure it out.

whatever you happened to do on that last set you posted on flickr, seemed to work out.

Those are some of the best I've ever seen. LOVE the dark purple tones.

Thank you for the wonderful compliment! The colors came from my sons space book, with a purple or black tray underneath depending on the shot. My method seems to work GREAT for getting most splashes, but in my probably thousands of shots, I have NEVER been able to capture the "mushroom" collision. or anything similar. I am really thinking it might be impossible without a timer. Or maybe I just need better additives???

 

[Gary A.]

I saw a newish app and, IIRC, an interface device that runs off a smartphone, demonstrated in another forum. It was relatively inexpensive. The Hong Kong guy who owns a camera store and makes those entertaining yet informative videos, has a video using the device as well. Sound triggers the device and it seems to work quite well. I known a forum member (different forum) that has one. I'll hit him up if you want.

Gary

 

[JustJazzie]

I saw a newish app and, IIRC, an interface device that runs off a smartphone, demonstrated in another forum. It was relatively inexpensive. The Hong Kong guy who owns a camera store and makes those entertaining yet informative videos, has a video using the device as well. Sound triggers the device and it seems to work quite well. I known a forum member (different forum) that has one. I'll hit him up if you want.

Gary

Sure! I would definitely be interested in learning a bit more. I can pm you with my email address, if that would be best?

 

[Buckster]

But how did you ensure you got a collision? Wouldn't it trigger for the first drop?

Unfortunately, with this very simple setup, collisions were not possible. I was doing shots like this with it:

Later, because I wanted to do collisions, I went with a more expensive system that allows me all kinds of triggering possibilities beyond single and collision drips. I'm using the Camera Axe system and a variety of triggers found here: Camera Axe

Here are a couple of collision shots from it:

 

[JustJazzie]

Those are great Buckster! I seem to have the "crowns" and what not taken care of with my current rigging. Im specifically wanting the more advanced collisions.

 

[TreeofLifeStairs]

I don't know why your husband won't "approve" another $500 for photography gear. I'm sure this will be the last time.

 

[JustJazzie]

I don't know why your husband won't "approve" another $500 for photography gear. I'm sure this will be the last time.

Yeah, definitely the LAST expensive gear purchase for the 2014 calendar year. :Giggle: But he got a shiny new truck this year, which is WAYYY more than my camera gear. So its only fair right??? ;-)

 

[Overread]

If he got a truck you get an equal amount of camera gear in money/weight (whichever is the greater )

 

[Buckster]

Those are great Buckster! I seem to have the "crowns" and what not taken care of with my current rigging. Im specifically wanting the more advanced collisions.

I think the big problem you'll need to overcome is the precise timing of the drips themselves. Unless they are exactly timed apart from one another, you'll simply NEVER get a collision, except by pure accident. One has to follow the first at an exact timing in order to collide with the first one just as the first one is splashing up.

That's where the more expensive triggers come into play because they trigger not just the lights, but the precise pumps/drippers that squirt out more than one drip in a precise timing between them, then fire the light at the precise moment they collide. In addition, those pumps and the controllers also control how much liquid will be used for each drop, which can make a big difference as well. So, one drop can be bigger than the other, providing unique varied results.

Here's the Camera Axe Valve Sensor pump I'm using:

Valve Sensor [ca016] - $60.00 : Dreaming Robots Store