Top Tips / Shoot the action in an instant

1 Shoot in Manual

Our DSLR is in Manual mode with the following settings: 1/200 sec, f/32, ISO1000. The narrow aperture means that we get a wider plane of focus with greater depth of field, which is especially useful here as we can’t be sure exactly where the paint will bounce up.

2 Pre-focus on a spot

Precise focusing is critical to close-up photography, but it’s impossible to focus while the paint is moving, so we need to pre-focus beforehand on the most likely spot. Set the lens to manual focus and use Live View to focus on the centre of the motionless paint.

3 Use a low flash power

A lower flash power setting will give us a shorter flash duration. At full power our Yongnuo 560 IV has a flash duration around 1/300 sec, but at 1/32 power this jumps to a more effective 1/7000 sec (approx). So for faster flash durations, lower the power of the Speedlight.

4 Mix the paints

We used a combination of water-based paints. The thickness of the paint is important, as if it’s too viscous it won’t bounce. However, if it’s too thin then it’s likely to spray around everywhere! Experiment by mixing the paint with water until you hit up the right thickness.

5 Crank up that bass

Part of the fun here is in finding out how different music affects the motion of the paint. A tune with a fast rhythm can work well. Whatever you choose, crank up the bass setting on your speaker to its maximum, it makes a huge difference to the power of the bouncing beat.

6 Timing the shot

When you start shooting, the timing is crucial. It can be difficult to predict the best moment to press the shutter, so after turning the music on fire off a series of frames as quickly as your flash will allow. After a while the paints will mix together, so you’ll need to refresh them to try again.