first try at freezing water in motion

[xzyragon]

Was bored last night and needed some fresh material to upload to instagram and whatnot, so I decided to try my hand at high speed? photography. I just set up my camera, pointed it at a wine glass, opened the shutter for 5 seconds, and dropped stuff into the wine glass and set off a flash to "freeze" the water. I'm gonna try it again next time with a larger body of water (bathtub with a backdrop hopefully) and find something round to get that perfect splash of water.

Anyways, here's the pics. C&C please, especially if you've done or attempted something like this before!

IMG_8768 by christophercoxphoto, on Flickr

IMG_8769 by christophercoxphoto, on Flickr

 

[Derrel]

Awesome sunburst effect on that top frame, CC!!! What a lovely detail you captured. The lens' diaphragm blade design determines how a lens will render sunbursts. THAT lens does them beautifully!

 

[waday]

Like the photos!

Two comments:

(1) Be careful when dropping "stuff" into wine glasses. They can break... I wouldn't know from experience or anything... :lmao:

(2) Clean the glass well and use gloves to handle so as not to leave fingerprints.

 

[Msteelio91]

(2) Clean the glass well and use gloves to handle so as not to leave fingerprints.

Definitely that, otherwise - great shots! Derrel is right too that flare is sweet.

I think a different background would help these shots as well

 

[xzyragon]

Awesome sunburst effect on that top frame, CC!!! What a lovely detail you captured. The lens' diaphragm blade design determines how a lens will render sunbursts. THAT lens does them beautifully!

I was impressed too. It's the sigma 50mm 1.4 non art, which has rounded aperture blades which supposedly don't make as brilliant of sunstars (according to some reviews). I'll try again soon to see if I can get some larger ones.

Like the photos!

Two comments:

(1) Be careful when dropping "stuff" into wine glasses. They can break... I wouldn't know from experience or anything... :lmao:

(2) Clean the glass well and use gloves to handle so as not to leave fingerprints.

Definitely. I actually broke one while doing this because the object i was dropping in had some heft (a used longboard wheel). Luckily they were free glasses (leftovers from some function on campus) so I wasn't too heartbroken. But I'm definitely going to try polishing the glass and getting a flatter background.

(2) Clean the glass well and use gloves to handle so as not to leave fingerprints.

Definitely that, otherwise - great shots! Derrel is right too that flare is sweet.

I think a different background would help these shots as well

I want to lay a background in a bathtub (or maybe a mirror) to get bigger splashes plus a less distracting background. My only worry is getting the front element wet.

 

[Braineack]

Yeah, clean up the background/reflections. Maybe shoot straight on.

What flash power? Looks like you could stand to lower the flash power, thus, increasing the "shutter" speed.

 

[xzyragon]

Yeah, clean up the background/reflections. Maybe shoot straight on.

What flash power? Looks like you could stand to lower the flash power, thus, increasing the "shutter" speed.

Something around 1/64 (or at least that's the readout on my flash). I'm thinking if I repeat this with a wine glass, I'll fill it up to the brim and try and make the rim of the glass the "horizon". Should make the object I'm dropping in look pretty cool and flat but distorted as well.