Tried some droplet shot but failed..sugestions?

[dandiaz]

used a 70-200mm with filter lens(close up x2 and x4)
aperture 32 i think w/flash

Most of them are out of focus,mainly because I used manual focus.Can you guy help me out? Some tips maybe or what mode should I have use.
heres some pic of what I had taken
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-Dan

 

[Darkhunter139]

When I did it I used a pen to focus on the exact points the water was droppin, I left it on auto focus until it focused on the pen then I switched it to manual and took the pen away. There was a really good video that gave a nice water drop tutorial but I forget what it was called. Try searching for the water droplets thread by TJ K and you will find it in there.

 

[Hybrid Designz]

Yes i used the pen trick as well. it worked for the most part. Just be patient with it cause i think i took 315 pics in the series and only happy with 5 or 6 of them lol

 

[SoonerBJJ]

How did you determine your manual focus distance? Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I'm not sure you could even make autofocus work with these shots. Point of focus won't be predictable or reliable and even the slightest delay is going to miss the action.

We won't touch composition, backgrounds, etc as I assume you are more intent on nailing the technique. Depending on what you're going for, the shutter speed seems too slow in some of them. You say you were shooting f/32???

 

[dandiaz]

I did use a pencil first.Then move to a subject.F/32 I think. I forgot to play with the shutter speed, I was so focus trying ko get the timing of the droplet that i forgot.

 

[Hybrid Designz]

autofocus with these type of shots will not work, unless you just get lucky. manual is the way to go...

 

[bhphotography]

I would shoot these at f2.8 for a shallow depth of field, and crank your shutter speed to 1/1000th of a second or faster to really freeze the action

 

[dandiaz]

I would shoot these at f2.8 for a shallow depth of field, and crank your shutter speed to 1/1000th of a second or faster to really freeze the action

Thanks! I will do this next time. :mrgreen:

For all the others that helped me out thanks a lot!

 

[SoonerBJJ]

I forgot to play with the shutter speed, I was so focus trying ko get the timing of the droplet that i forgot.

Bingo. Even if you nail the distance you are going to be blurry if your shutter speed is too slow.

 

[Darkhunter139]

I would shoot these at f2.8 for a shallow depth of field, and crank your shutter speed to 1/1000th of a second or faster to really freeze the action

Thanks! I will do this next time. :mrgreen:

For all the others that helped me out thanks a lot!

I actually would shoot at about F/8 or 11 so you dont want the DOF too shallow or you wont get the whole drop.

Look at this video that TJ K a while back:

 

[dandiaz]

Thanks for the link! Very informative.