Make a splash

Create a stunning water drop shot that isn’t just another drop in the ocean

The mission

Capture water drops as they splash into the air

Time

Two hours

Skill level

Beginner Intermediate Advanced

Kit needed

Flashguns Remote release Tripod Pipette Dish

Ever wondered how to create those water drops that seem to magically hang in mid-air? It’s not Photoshop trickery; you just need some simple ingredients to concoct your very own drop shot. The principle is simple; by releasing a drip into a bowl full of water you can create a perfect spherical splash with concentric ripples that propagate outwards. With the camera set to the flash’s sync speed, it’s not the shutter that freezes the water drop but the flash of light. A typical burst of flash lasts between 1/30000 and 1/1000 sec, which is much faster than any shutter speed.

It’s all in the timing, You’ll need to fire the shutter a fraction of a second after releasing the water drop. This comes with practice – and luck. You’ll need to set high-speed continuous shooting mode and fire plenty of frames before you get the perfect shot.

You can get experimental with food colouring and different liquids, such as oil or milk. But let’s keep things simple and start off with good old H 0… 2

By releasing a single drop into a bowl full of water you can create a perfect circular splash with concentric ripples