Water Drops

[Miladymimi]

I like the 5th one in the second set. It looks like a skinny little alien. Really interesting effects.

 

[el_shorty]

Water Drops
The Drip Kit

I can't wait!! Did you use a kit or did you do it on your own?

I have heard good things about the Time Machine, I looked at both the Time Machine and the StopShot but I didn't want to spend the money for them since I don't really do water drops that often.
Right now I am using the Hiviz Multitrigger to trigger my camera and a solenoid valve to release the drop which I do manually.

You sir have the most interesting water drop images I have ever seen on this forum!

Congrats!

Seconded! Amazing stuff, love the last ( currently ) visible one in the original post... Looks like a mushroom ha!.. Ever any issues with getting drops on the lens? They somehow find their way to my front element... even with the hood attached.. would also like to know more about the mechanical valve... I always figured my pinhole through a Subway bag was obsolete nowaday.

No issues with getting the lens wet, I usually place the camera about 12" from the water in order to capture the whole drop since some of them go as high as four inches.
As far as the mechanical valve, I will post some pictures of it tomorrow.

I was using a hypo like gyzmo that was for refilling printer inks. But I moved up to a punctured ziplok bag. I wish there were a way to control the flow so the drops would come out very quickly. Having the drop hit the rising drop creates very explosive interesting shots as compared to the simple rising column or crown.

There is a way, actually more than one, and they are not cheap, The Time Machine, the StopShot and the Camera Axe. with them you can control the number of drops and how fast they are released, also you can control the delay to trigger the camera and flashes, pretty cool but like I said earlier not cheap, that is why I bought the HiViz, but it only controls the delay to trigger the camera and flashes.

I like the 5th one in the second set. It looks like a skinny little alien. Really interesting effects.

Thank you, that little alien is one of my favorites photos of the set.

 

[MWG]

amazing work

 

[el_shorty]

This is my setup for the water drops, I put it together last night for the purpose of taking pictures of it and that is the reason there is no water in the tray.

1. Camera with macro lens and CST Sybersync transmitter.

2. Laptop running Nikon Camera Control Pro to view photos, because of the cable that connects the camera to the Hiviz Multitrigger there is no preview in the camera.

3. SB-600 and SB-900 with CSRB+ Cybersyncs. SB-600 is pointing towards the background and SB-900 with snoot (not pictured) and Rosco gels pointing at the drops.

4. HiViz Multitrigger.

5. 11x14 print mounted on foam board as background.

6. Trays with water and rinse aid mixture.

7. 8 AA Battery holder with push switch.

8. Solenoid Valve

9. Photogate.

10. Syringe and silicon tubing to hold the water, food coloring and guar gum mixture.


This is the schematic for the solenoid switch

and this is the final product.

Every time I press on the switch the valve opens letting water through, so to get those collision shot I press on the switch twice very fast, works well but not as well as if I had a Time Machine or a StopShot.

And this is the cable that connects the HiViz with my D300s, there is a tutorial on the Hiviz website showing how to make it.

 

[mishele]

I can't wait to get The Time Machine....it was a birthday gift from my hubby. I did the research and sent him the link and said buy what I need.....lol Surprise..I got it. I didn't really think he would. I'm sure the two of us will have a lot of fun figuring it out. Still 2 weeks yet til it comes.....=(
Keep the shots coming!! I love them!!

 

[MiaLahhve]

Those are so interesting and pretty! Love the colors

 

[Dani41780]

love

 

[Bynx]

Now this isnt talking sour grapes, but I dont think I would enjoy using a Time Machine. Being able to predict exactly what the pic will look like before its taken takes the surprise and fun out of it. Besides who is taking the pic? The OP or the gyzmo? Ive taken well over 2000 drop shots. Everything is so critical, the distance of the drop from the pierced bag to the tray of water, the camera focus, the precise time to click the shutter, allowing for shutter lag. To get that exact moment with crystal clarity is not an easy task. But when it happens, its a joy to look at, since it was all you. A gyzmo would take all that away. Its like a machine you load with paint that when pointed at a canvas produces Rembrandts. Whats the fun in that? And who is doing the painting?

 

[mishele]

I don't think the machine is going to be a turn key tool. I think it's going to take a lot of time to get what you want out of it. Is it even possible to get the double splash w/ out help? Have you done this before?

 

[el_shorty]

Thanks.

I can't wait to get The Time Machine....it was a birthday gift from my hubby. I did the research and sent him the link and said buy what I need.....lol Surprise..I got it. I didn't really think he would. I'm sure the two of us will have a lot of fun figuring it out. Still 2 weeks yet til it comes.....=(
Keep the shots coming!! I love them!!

Congratulations on your birthday gift, doing water drops is fun, but you can easily considerably raise the number of actuation on you camera, two weeks ago I did more than 1200 shots of water drops in about four hours while trying to figure out how to get the shot of water drops colliding, then a few days later I did 400 more.

I will recommend that you get guar gum to mix with water, it will make the drops more interesting, you can see the difference of using it by comparing the first set to the second set of pictures I posted, I used guar gum in the first set. It's not expensive, about $5 for 8 ounces, and I believe I used about half a teaspoon for 20 oz of water.

And for inspiration look at the work of these photographers on flickr
rifi2
Cymaii
Maianer

 

[Bynx]

Ive never been able to make a collision shot Michelle. Im sure its because Ive always concentrated on the single shot. Ive never had a short enough time between the drops to have them collide. There are so many variables. The height of the drop, the depth of the water, the viscosity of the liquids if you were using milk for example, or guar gum as suggested. How about cooking oil and water? This is all so much fun and it takes only a few minutes to set up. That solenoid switch does look interesting. You would be able to control the number of drops.

 

[mishele]

Thanks a ton!!!!
I think I have at least one of those people bookmarked....lol

 

[mishele]

Ive never been able to make a collision shot Michelle. Im sure its because Ive always concentrated on the single shot. Ive never had a short enough time between the drops to have them collide. There are so many variables. The height of the drop, the depth of the water, the viscosity of the liquids if you were using milk for example, or guar gum as suggested. How about cooking oil and water? This is all so much fun and it takes only a few minutes to set up. That solenoid switch does look interesting. You would be able to control the number of drops.

I've done lots of single shots also. I can't even imagine doing a double w/ out help. Maybe it's the non-techie girl in me.....lol

 

[el_shorty]

Now this isnt talking sour grapes, but I dont think I would enjoy using a Time Machine. Being able to predict exactly what the pic will look like before its taken takes the surprise and fun out of it. Besides who is taking the pic? The OP or the gyzmo? Ive taken well over 2000 drop shots. Everything is so critical, the distance of the drop from the pierced bag to the tray of water, the camera focus, the precise time to click the shutter, allowing for shutter lag. To get that exact moment with crystal clarity is not an easy task. But when it happens, its a joy to look at, since it was all you. A gyzmo would take all that away. Its like a machine you load with paint that when pointed at a canvas produces Rembrandts. Whats the fun in that? And who is doing the painting?

There are some types of water drops photos you cannot get without help from the time machine, and no, it doesn't take anything away, at least to me, since you will still be the one setting up everything, the mixture of the water, the angle of the camera, the speed in which the water is released, the position of the flashes. The Time Machine is just another tool to get the kind of shots you are trying to create, it just makes it a little easier.

 

[Destin]

Ive never been able to make a collision shot Michelle. Im sure its because Ive always concentrated on the single shot. Ive never had a short enough time between the drops to have them collide. There are so many variables. The height of the drop, the depth of the water, the viscosity of the liquids if you were using milk for example, or guar gum as suggested. How about cooking oil and water? This is all so much fun and it takes only a few minutes to set up. That solenoid switch does look interesting. You would be able to control the number of drops.

I've done lots of single shots also. I can't even imagine doing a double w/ out help. Maybe it's the non-techie girl in me.....lol

I've gotten the collision shots without any kind of timing device. I use a small eyedropper to release the drops, it takes some patience, but you can time the drops close together with it. I'd show you an example but they are all on my external hard drive, which I don't have with me.