Beginner Water Photography

[DunkenGandalf]

I just got a new camera yesterday and I am starting to get used to some of the cameras controls. I took this picture in RAW with a Nikon D3300, and the kit lens it came with. Which is a 18-55mm lens. The settings the camera was at was ISO 100, F/4.0 and 1/200. The setup was pretty basic haha, 2 pieces of white paper and a bright light above the water, also I used the flash. I was wondering if I am doing anything wrong or if I could improve in anyway possible. Thanks!

 

[tirediron]

Every image can be improved. That said, your is, while perhaps not the most exciting, a solid effort. The one suggestion I will make is that increasing your depth of field by using a smaller aperture (larger 'f' number) would have produced more of the glass/water in sharp focus.

 

[HeldInTheMoment]

Nothing was done "wrong" per-say, but I would increase the shutter speed to 1/1000 or higher and open the aperture as wide as you can. From there I would get an off camera flash for better light direction.

Overall, great work for just starting out with a new DSLR camera!

 

[Stradawhovious]

Nothing was done "wrong" per-say, but I would increase the shutter speed to 1/1000 or higher and open the aperture as wide as you can. From there I would get an off camera flash for better light direction.

Overall, great work for just starting out with a new DSLR camera!

In this instance a shutter speed of 1/1000 will be useless, since the OP is shooting with flash and this camera has a sync speed of 1/200. Besides, 1/200 (which is what this was shot at) is plenty fast enough to freeze this type of action when properly lit and shot with a deep enough DOF. As far as shooting wider, that's also questionable advice. The picture in the OP is already shot with a razor thin DOF (f/4) and most of it is out of focus. Shooting with a wider aperture will make that worse, not better.

OP, try shooting this again, just like you did, but at f/11 or f/16. You will see that far more of your picture will be in focus, just like Tired was talking about.

 

[HeldInTheMoment]

Stradawhovious has a valid point, sorry I am so used to my off camera flash with HSS...

OP with your current setup, 1/200 is more than fine. Maybe lower some of the ambient light to really make the water pop using the flash from the camera.

I prefer more shallow DOF, but again that is just my style...

 

[Stradawhovious]

I prefer more shallow DOF, but again that is just my style...

I can appreciate that stylistically, and I have an affinity for a shallow DOF in most cases as well. In this case, consider the subject. You have a glass of turbulent water being splashed around, and my assumption (I know that's a dangerous word) is that the OP's intent was to capture the action of that turbulent water.

With the low angle of attack, if this were shot at a very shallow DOF the middle of the glass might be in crystal clear focus, but the OOF areas in front and behind it will effectively obscure any action trying to be captured by making everything in the glass appear to be OOF and moving. A super shallow DOF works great for capturing droplets above the surface of the water, but it can work against you when trying to capture action IN the water.

Just my .02 derived from extensive sessions shooting water while fueled by nothing more than boredom and Whiskey.