My first try at oil photography

Jarmo · Jan 10, 2011

My setup was a glass jar filled with water and a few drops of cooking oil placed on a level glass surface and a colorful fabrics placed underneath. The fabric was lit with a strobe.

Easy and fun and I like the look of these too. What do you think? Ever tried this?

simo110 · Jan 10, 2011

I like them..they look cool..have you tried othefabrics with different colors? I'd love to see them =D

zbo2408 · Jan 10, 2011

usually blue is my favorite color ... but I really like the green one!

Robin Usagani · Jan 10, 2011

amazing how nature can create such perfect circles!

pbelarge · Jan 10, 2011

Schwettylens said:
amazing how nature can create such perfect circles!

Who says it was nature?

GrantH · Jan 10, 2011

These honestly look fake, like they were processed. I'm probably wrong...but hear me out.

Why do the circles that are touching each other combine into one space? Why is EVERY circle separated and perfectly round?

reznap · Jan 10, 2011

Can you show us a picture of the setup? The results are interesting and very unique and I'd like to try it myself.

Thanks!

The first one is sweet.

KmH · Jan 10, 2011

GrantH said:
Why do the circles that are touching each other combine into one space? Why is EVERY circle separated and perfectly round?

Because of a property of water known as 'surface tension'.

Nice photographs.

Yesterday I was thinking of a somewhat different way of shooting water and oil based on how we projected oil and water back in the psychedelic days of the 1970's. Plus I was thinking about using colored oil and colored water.

KmH · Jan 10, 2011

reznap said:
Can you show us a picture of the setup? The results are interesting and very unique and I'd like to try it myself.

Thanks!

The first one is sweet.

I'd venture he had the camera facing straight down through the jar of water, and focused on the oil drops on the water's surface.

Jarmo · Jan 10, 2011

KmH said:
reznap said:

Can you show us a picture of the setup? The results are interesting and very unique and I'd like to try it myself.

Thanks!

The first one is sweet.

Click to expand...

I'd venture he had the camera facing straight down through the jar of water, and focused on the oil drops on the water's surface.

Exactly. Unfortunately I took my setup down already and don't have a picture of it.

And I can assure you these photos have not been manipulated except for contrast and saturation. This idea is straight out of a video by Bryan Peterson.