Corrie White - The Ultimate Guide To Water Drop Photography

*****
I am pleased to present a very comprehensive guide to water drop photography. It is

aimed at all levels from beginner to advanced. In this book I reveal a “magic” ingredient
which helps to get the fancy shapes I have been doing. Most of the images have been
created especially for this book, including manual set-ups and my modified set-up with
The Time Machine. You will see how I achieve some of my backgrounds. Please keep in
mind that this is my way of doing water drop photography. Every water dropper has their
own methods and in here I explain what works for me and what I have learned in the past
four years. You can see the results on my website - http://www.liquiddropart.com/ .
A bit about me: I started my water drop art in early 2009. At that time and for over a
year I did these manually with a medicine dropper. In the Spring of 2010 Bryan Mumford
asked if I would try his new Drip Kit addition to The Time Machine. I was ready to
advance to electronics and this certainly put a whole new perspective to my liquid art. In
two weeks I had created the three drop splash which had never been done before. I also
introduced the guar gum additive which Bryan had suggested I try. Other creations of
mine were the splash with the bubble base, the bokeh background, multiple drops in one
exposure, among others. My art is featured in many magazines, newspapers and
websites worldwide.
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Ultimate Guide Page 2
Table of Contents
My Studio........................................ 3 Backgrounds
Equipment - Overhead Transparencies.......... 35
- Cameras................................. 4 - Flash Gels............................... 36
- Lenses..................................... 4 - Refractions............................. 37
- Flashes.................................. 5 - Bokeh.................................... 43
- Tripods................................... 6 - Others................................... 45
- Containers.............................. 7 Techniques
- Samples................................. 8 - Refractions................................ 52
Focusing Aids............................. 13 - Bubbles................................... 57
Liquids & Additives......................14 - Crowns................................... 59
Magic Ingredient.........................15 - Others.................................... 64
Birth of a Drop........................... 16 Time Machine Method................. 69

Evolution of the Splash................ 18 Steady Drip Method.................... 72
Drop Interval Samples................ 20 Medicine Dropper Method............ 74
Splash Reflections.......................21 Liquid Flow................................ 76

Lighting Work-flow.................................. 84
- Motion Blur.............................. 24 Journey of a Splash.................... 86
- Flash Exposure Compensation.... 25 Serendipity.............................. 100
- Yongnuo Flashes....................... 26 Closing Remarks....................... 111
- One to Four Flashes Samples..... 28 Credits.................................... 111
- Diffused Lighting...................... 29
- Bounce Lighting....................... 31
- Lighting with Milk..................... 32

My Studio
This is a wide angle view of my basement studio where I do all my water drop
photography. It's convenient to have such a dedicated area for my liquid photography. I
can leave everything in place until the next time I do a shoot.
I thought it would be cool to show the layout. The desk is quite moveable, which I have
to do from time to time depending on the set-up I am going to use.
On my left, out of sight, is more equipment such as cables, background material, and the
pail and siphon I use to empty the water tray. Also, on the left is a double window which I
use as a cooler to store my xanthan gum mixture, because it gets stinky if left too long in
the warmth.
On my right is a small desk with a small audio system. Music is necessary!
Above the desk you see the reservoir and valve supported by a one meter (3') length of a
90 degree aluminum angle. (It's all I could find at the time. To be modified;-)) This is
attached to the beam by a couple of screws. It's quite sturdy! You will see this in most of
the set-ups, but only the bottom part of it.
Equipment
It is highly recommended to use a dslr for this type of photography. It is

necessary to have a camera with “Manual” controls. The Canon EOS 7D
is the camera I am presently using.
A dedicated true macro lens is best for water drop photography. The lens I
use is the one on the left, a Canon EF 100mm f2.8 USM Macro lens. In the
middle is my kit lens 17 – 85mm. On the right is my Canon 70 – 200 lens.
Sample pictures taken with these lenses are below.
This is taken with my 100mm This one is with my kit lens at A 70-200mm lens at full zoom.
Macro lens at f16. The lens is 30 85mm, f18. This is at full f20 The lens is 100cm (39")
cm.(12") from the drop. zoom, 20cm (8") from the drop. from the drop which is as close
as I could get for a good focus.
You can see that the water drop taken with the Macro lens is the best size and quality. If
you have a diopter or extender, I would suggest to try these out to see if they are suitable
for water drops. I don't have any diopters to try out to show you any samples. However,
before you go spending a ton of money on equipment, I would start out with a regular lens
and use your in-camera flash to see if this type of photography works for you. A sample
picture taken with the pop-up flash is in the section on Flashes – Page 28.
I now use four Yongnuo

Speedlite YN560-ll flash guns.
I have a “Flash” section,

Page 24, where I go into
detail about flash settings,
motion blur, triggering, flash
sync with other brands, etc.
The Yongnuo’s are great -

they go down to 1/128th
power and if you order them
through Ebay, all four are
about ½ the price of one
Canon Speedlite 580 EX ll.
Battery chargers for the flashes. Have lots of spares and keep
them charged.
The tall tripods are used to support the

flashes when they are positioned behind the
frosted glass. My main tripod is in use to
take this picture and I use that one for my
camera and all my studio photography. The
tiny one comes in very handy for light
equipment; it is strong enough to support a
small flash.
I use a lot of other equipment, which you will

see further into this book. The desk drawers
are full of various items I use for my studio
photography.
A lot of people use a laptop computer to

immediately see the results up close to make
any necessary adjustments to focusing or
lighting. I bought a used one for this specific
purpose, but I found it was too slow, so I still
rely on my camera screen at full zoom and
do a double check on my desktop computer.
Containers
These are the main containers I use for my drops. The short black tray measures – 41 cm.
(16”) x 28 cm.(11”) x 6 cm.(2 1/2”) deep. Inside this I use a non-reflective sheet of black
plastic. I find this tray just a bit short for reflections. I just received a new tray, made of
plexiglass – 65 cm.(25 1/2”) x 29 cm.(11 1/2”) x 7 ½ cm.(3”) deep x 6 mm (1/4”)thick. It is
fitted with a plexiglass liner coated with flat black paint. These liners stop glare and
reflections from the bottom of the tanks. Ideally, I would like something in between these
two. I find that the large tank is too deep, takes too much water, and being this long, the
water takes too long to settle between drops. Also, there is a far longer area to cover with the
flashes, which makes it more difficult to arrange the light evenly. Trays are hard to find. You
could buy some plexiglass from a plastics or glass supplier and then have them specifically
made to your requirements.
I did many tests with very large drops To empty out the water tray, I use
and this is the deepest they descend flexible vinyl tubing to siphon the water
into the water. For this reason, you into a pail. You need a stir stick. I also
don't need a very deep water tray. keep a jug of clean water handy.
These are the containers I used for the tests in the following pages. The flat black
plastic liner that is in the black tray is also used underneath the glass pan.
For the test with this image, I used a high contrast black and white album sleeve. A
focus aid was used to determine the drop zone.
What Color of Tray is Best?
For me the answer is non-reflective black. The amount of color absorbed depends on the
color of the surface - dark colors absorb better than light ones - flat black best of all. I'll
show you the difference in light and dark containers: (All taken at f10)
Taken in a tray with flat black surface. Focus is on the reflected image. Note
the sharp, clear details.
Also taken in the black tray with flat black surface. Focus is on the drop zone
here. The tiny specks are from lint on the water surface.
This is taken in a white tray with focus on the reflected image.
Also in a white tray - focus on the drop zone.

This is in a clear glass tray with flat black liner underneath the pan. You can see glare on
the curve of the pan. Focus is on the image.
Here again, a glass pan with the liner underneath it. Focus is on the drop zone.
If you leave the water sitting too long, it will pick up lots of lint from towels, etc. I
focused on the pink disk to show the details on the surface.
For this test I used fresh tap water and left it overnight. The focus is on the disk
on the surface with the coin directly behind it . It shows the lint on the surface
of the water, as well as air bubbles on the bottom.
Focusing Aids
These are some of the various methods I use as an aid in pre-focusing. It is a calculated
guess, at most, and after you take a few shots, you need to double check and possibly
refocus or do a small tweak on the focus ring. I like to have my main focal point from the
front of the drop to the jet. You will not get the whole of the splash in focus since the focal
range in a macro lens is very shallow. You can back the camera up to get a wider focal
range and do a crop, but by doing this you will lose a lot of quality and pixels. It's better
to come in closer and have your focus close to the front which is where the viewer's eye is
drawn.
I place the item close to the drop zone and adjust until the drop lands close to the middle
of the focus aid, then focus on the front of that. Then I set the camera on "Bulb" mode
and turn on "Live View", zooming to the 5x view. This way I can focus very clearly on the
front of the item. Usually this works, but sometimes when the drops get larger and wider I
may have to tweak the focus ring a tiny bit.
There are so many things you can use to help with focus. A lot depends on the depth and
width of the container you are using. Look around your home and use whatever works.
*****
Liquids & Additives

The most common liquids I use are a milk/cream mixture and plain tap water with
additives. I always use skim milk at home, so I use this with a few drops of cream to
thicken it. It is the fat content of milk that gives it that slow moving quality with nicely
rounded droplets on the rim of the crown. Milk is very easy to work with because of this.
Water is not as dense as milk and I prefer to use additives for this to give it a similar
consistency as the milk. Some early experiments with additives for water included
glycerine, dissolved white sugar, clear corn syrup, among others. These all have some
degree of making the water thicker but they also give the water a cloudy appearance. By
far, the best thickener for water has been the guar gum. I, personally, use xanthan gum
which is similar to guar gum, but I can use less and it is easier to mix.
For the xanthan gum, I measure out 5 ml (1 tsp) into 6 cups of lukewarm water. I then
blend it into a "smoothie" mixture and strain to a very clear mixture through a coffee filter.
I have made a couple of holes in the bottom of the cone filter holder so it will drain more
quickly. If it is too thick, dilute with some more water. I have found that the xanthan gum
is much easier to strain than the guar gum. I usually make a large batch because it takes a
long time to strain to a clear, smooth mixture. These gums are plant-based so they will get
stinky if left in warm temperatures. The gums do leave a certain opacity to the water, but
not nearly as much as the glycerine and syrups. For the reservoir, I use a ratio of
approximately 1/3 cup gum mixture to 2/3 cup cold water for the drop.
Surface Tension is a property of water in which the molecules are attracted to each other
and stick together. The molecules at the surface of a glass of water do not have other
water molecules on all sides of them and consequently they cohere more strongly to those
directly associated with them (in this case, next to and below them, but not above). Rinse
aid is a surfactant which reduces surface tension on water. If you have a small container
filled to the brim with water, add a couple of drops of rinse aid and the water will flow out
of the vessel. The drop mixture can now enter the water with ease and result in a higher
jet. A couple of drops of rinse aid is commonly added to the water in the drip tray.
*****
The Magic Ingredient

I have a special additive that I use. On it's own it is unstable, but when used along with
the xanthan (or guar) gum, it is essential to producing the tall and fancy shapes I get.
It is this:
Nature Clean All Purpose Cleaning Lotion
Add a few drops of this to your gum mixture in the reservoir and the drops will go crazy.
You can add more, but I would suggest starting with just a few until your drops are back
under control. You will have to reduce your drop size considerably because this cuts
through the water like nothing else! You can also add a small drop to the water in the catch
tray as a tension reducer, but soon enough you will have all you need from the reservoir
liquid. You don't need to use rinse aid anymore because this is far superior in reducing
surface tension. It acts as a surfactant in both the drop mixture and the catch water. This
ingredient adds a lot of elasticity to the water mixture. The downside to using this is that it
leaves bubbles on the water. Simply blow them away or clone them out in post-edit. The
end result is worth a bit of annoyance. Later in this book, I will be showing samples of the
effects of this additive.
You can get the information here: http://www.naturecleanliving.com/all_purpose_cleaning_lotion.

Click on the “Where to Buy” to find a list of retailers. If you cannot order this or find it
locally, there should be something similar to use in place of this. I have tried so many
various additives, but after seeing the results from this product, I stopped looking.
*****
Birth of a Drop
These images show the stages of a large drop after it leaves the valve. There is no suction
on valves to hold back the liquid so what is left in the valve follows the actual drop. This
also happens with a drop from a faucet. As you can see, the "after-drop" compacts until
about 2/3rds of the way down to the catch tray where it retains a spherical shape. The
larger the drop, the less spherical some of them can become, hence, a variety of flubs in
the results. The little “cap” on the 3 drop splash comes from this “after-drop” since I have
the Time Machine programmed for only 2 drops. There is always a resulting second drop
and with the larger drops, this is more pronounced. With smaller drops, the effect is
minimal and will not result in much more than a stray drop to clone out.
A drop leaving the jet, about to The trailer from a larger drop. This is from a drop so large it
collide with the drop coming would just make a big plop in
down. This is a smaller drop the water.
and the resulting stray is tiny.
This is a sequence of drops after they enter the water. I used a large drop size for effect.
At impact, a crown splash is created, then a small crater emerges which immediately starts
to collapse due to the hydrostatic pressure of the surrounding liquid. Then, this crater
closes and shoots out a jet, known as the Worthington jet. It appears that the smaller
secondary drop extends this formation, possibly resulting in a higher jet. Smaller drops
have tiny strays and are of little or no consequence.
*****
Evolution of the Splash
The Coronet. The milk coronet The Worthington Jet. A The Two Drop Collision.
was made famous by Harold phenomenon named after A. M. Accidentally discovered by
Edgerton who invented the Worthington who wrote “A Martin Waugh, well known for
stroboscope, or flash, in 1931. Study of Splashes” in 1908. his "Liquid Sculptures".
The Three Drop Splash. A The Bubble Splash. Using a

discovery by me with The Time large drop to create a bubble
Machine. This had never been with a Worthington Jet coming
done before and led the way to up through it. By me.
a new line of fancy splashes.
*****
How Tall Is A Drop?
These are done simply as a test to see how high they would go with the liquid I was using.
****
It's important to let the water settle between splashes or you will
get this ripple effect. The colours in this picture are explained in the
Backgrounds section, Page 51.
Distance Between Drops

The interval between the drops plays a great factor in determining the shape of the splash.
The following drops were done with the same drop size and flash lag – only the timing
between the descending drops was altered to produce various shapes. Note the difference
in the ripples at the base of the splash – from a small crater at the short interval, to the
widening ripples from the longer time period between the drops. It's one way to judge the
interval someone is using when you see their splashes.
This was done with a very short A basic mushroom shape A longer distance results in a
distance between drops.. Much with a moderate interval mid-air collision. Here there
lower and you would get a blob setting is time for the jet to release a
in the water. drop to collide with the
descending drop
A higher interval. With larger Here the distance is so great,

drops, these can be very high. the jet has completely
disappeared
The Slo-Mo guys have a great video on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNI-LIVs-to

which shows the first drops at a setting between the first two images on the top row. The
last splash is done at the same setting as the one on the top right. You will notice that
they are also using The Time Machine and Drip Kit for these.
I did a “time lapse” of a sequence of drops – http://bit.ly/NllEd7. It shows how a drop is

consistent in it's shape, but falls on an angle a lot of the time.
I have another similar one with milk on Flickr -http://bit.ly/12vitbI.

*****
Splash Reflections
The best way to get a good reflection is to have the camera at an angle as close to the
water level as possible. The lower the angle, the better the light and the taller the
reflection. Light has to travel farther to the reflection so it is necessary to adjust the light
as much as possible for this. In the following examples, the drops are all about the same
height.
This was taken with the camera at a high angle to the water. You can
see there is not as much light at this angle. There is also less of the
drop in focus because of the high angle. The front of the drop is in
focus, but the jet is not, and the height of the reflection is very small.
Iso – 200 f13
This is the setup for the picture above. The camera is at a very high
angle to the water surface.
This drop was taken at a lower angle than the previous one. There is more light now,
plus the front of the crown, the base of the drop and the jet are now in focus. Also,
the height of the drop is reflected a bit more. Iso – 200 f14
This angle is a bit better for light and reflection. The result is the picture above.
In this shot I have the camera at a very low angle to the drop. The front and back of the
tank are just out of the frame. You can see at this low angle there is much more light.
Also, the reflection is longer and there is much more of the drop in focus. Iso – 200 f16
This is the best angle to have the camera for the tallest reflections. It is much lower
and takes advantage of the light as well. This tray is 42 cm (16") long and it could
easily be at least 10 cm (4") longer without having to stretch the light.
*****
Lighting
Motion Blur/Flash Power
It is not the shutter speed, but a quick burst of light from a flash which freezes the motion
in drops. For water drop photography I use an exposure of 0.5 second, which is the time it
takes for the process of the drops to take place with The Time Machine. I activate the
push button, the shutter opens, the drops fall, the flashes fire at the preset time, and the
shutter closes. The flashes fire at approximately 1/25,000th of a second. Most commonly
I use a flash power of 1/64 to stop the action.
These are samples of the various flash settings and the results of the longer light
exposures. 1/128 gives the least blur, but is also the darkest. 1/32 is starting to show
considerable movement so your focus should be very sharp to make up for this. I try not
to use 1/32 unless I need the extra light. Anything below this is unsuitable for water drop
photography. This test was done with the Yongnuo flashes. Also, they were taken in a
dark room so there wouldn't be any conflict with the blur from ambient light.
Another way to reduce motion blur is to use “Mirror Lock-Up”. This action flips the mirror
up well before the shutter opens, allowing the vibrations to die down before the shutter
opens. In macro photography, this is a very important feature. Cameras vary in the way
this feature is activated. Check your camera manual for the setting on this.
Ambient Light & Motion Blur
This was taken in a room This is in a room with bright Lights on. You can clearly
with low backlight. There is overhead light. You can see see the light trail from the
just enough light to see my a washed-out appearance drop before the flash fires.
way around. now. Exposure 0.5, f8, Flash
power 1/128
Flash Exposure Compensation

If you are starting out and want to use your in-camera flash, then you should set your
“Flash Exposure Compensation” setting to a lower setting between -1 to -3 (in a Canon).
This lower setting gives a shorter burst of light which is what freezes the motion. I didn't
know about this when I started doing drops and you can see a lot of motion blur in my
early experiments with water drop photography. I used an Exposure of 1/200 to sync with
my flash. A lower exposure does nothing more than let in unwanted ambient light.
You can also shoot in “Bulb” mode in a dark room and fire the flashes manually, but
chances of catching the drop collision go down dramatically.
With external flashes you can control each one separately. I have tried using wireless
triggers for my flashes, but at these short bursts of light, they are slightly out of sync and
leave slight motion blur on the drops.
My flashes are triggered by the Time Machine control box and are totally in sync. They
must be set on “Slave” and “Manual” in order to work this way.
Using the Yongnuo YN560-ll Flashes
Motion blur using two Yongnou flashes and two Canon Speedlites together.
For the picture above, I used two Yongnuo Speedlite YN560-ll flashes on the left and two
Canon Speedlite EX580 ll's on the right. The Yongnuo flashes will not work in conjunction
with the Canon Speedlites. They are not in complete sync and result in some motion blur.
You can see a lot of blur on the descending drop and you can see it also on the rim of the
mushroom shape of the splash.
The flashes I use for water drop photography are triggered by The Time Machine. This is
the most effective method. They must be set on “Manual” mode. With the Yongnuo 560
flashes there is no “Master” mode, and since the flashes must all be on “Slave” mode, this
works perfectly for water drops. I tried a wireless system once, but there is just enough of
a delay between Master and Slave to cause some motion blur.
One interesting thing I discovered recently is that they work wirelessly with my Canon
Rebel xti (450D). I was doing a set-up shot with this camera and as long as I had the pop-
up flash open, the Yongnuo's would all fire on the S1 or S2 settings. This camera is an
introductory dslr and does not support wireless so this was a total surprise.
Take care of your flashes. Keep them clean. If things get messy, you can cover the flashes
with plastic or put a cardboard barrier between them and the liquids. Also, they do give off
a lot of heat, enough to warp certain gels.
Flash guns in water drop photography are set at a low power, still caution should be used
to avoid overheating them. The Yongnuo's have overheating protection, however, it is
good to give them a cooling down period when you are using them a lot in quick
succession.
When I am setting up the flash positions, I check each one individually to make sure it is
covering the assigned area. When they are all set, I do a final light check by using a small
aperture of 29 or so where I can best see any discrepancies in the lighting.
I am very pleased with the results of using four flash guns. They cover the area very
smoothly and I don't have that vignetting effect on the edges. When I position the flashes,
I like to have them directed just outside the area covered by the frame of the camera so
there are no blown-out areas.
Tip: If you don't have adequate lighting, don't forget you can raise your ISO setting.
If you experience noise issues, there are lots of ways to reduce these in
today's software programs.
If you increase your ISO, you will be able to reduce your flash power, plus gain
some depth of field with a smaller aperture.
There are so many advancements made with today's technology in cameras and
software, it makes it so much easier.
Examples of Lighting with One to Four Flashes

These samples are taken with the flashes bouncing off a coloured transparency taped to
white paper (explained in the Backgrounds Section, Page 35). For the first five, I used an
ISO of 200, Aperture f16, flashes 1/64.
Four flashes evenly placed on Three flashes – a little darker at Two flashes - placed to cover
both sides of the bowl. the top now. the whole background.
One flash from the left, One flash, this time in-between Done with the camera pop-up
directed at the centre of the the bowl and background at an flash. It leaves a shadow from
background. upwards angle towards the the water drop.
coloured sheet. Exposure 1/200, f10, Iso 200
Notice how repeatable the shapes are with the same settings - only slight variations.
*****
Diffused lighting
In this set-up I have the four flash guns behind acid-etched glass, which acts as a diffuser
to soften and scatter the light. It is a very effective form of lighting. The flash guns are
strategically placed to spread the light evenly and avoid the common vignetting effect in so
many water drop images. Again, the low angle of the camera to the bowl (or tray),gives
you the best light. If the flashes are placed further back, you will get more diffusion, but
less light. If the glass is placed closer to the splash, you will get more light, but will also
show any imperfections in the glass or background.
The acid etched glass was bought at a stained glass warehouse. It is 3mm thick. It is not
the best material for diffusing light, but it's all I could get in the city. You can also get
opaque plexiglass, acrylic or perspex material. It has to be the type to let in enough light
and diffuse it properly. Look for something with a very smooth surface. The acid etched
glass has a bit of texture, so I cannot have it too close to the drop zone or this will be
evident in the image.
The glass is supported by a wooden block 9 cm (3 1/2”) both ways and 50cm (20”) long to
hold the large sheet of glass. I have two sheets of acid etched glass – one is 30 cm (12”)
x 43 cm (17”) which is a suitable size for my needs. The other is 46 cm (18”) square. The
only reason I have one this size is because I got a deal on it ;-) You don't need a very
large sheet because you only get a small portion in the frame of the camera.
The coloured sheets I explain in an upcoming chapter on background colours, Page 35.
This is another way to position the flashes behind the glass diffuser. No need for tall
tripods this way. I am using my two glass diffusers here because there is a lot of glare
from the light through the glass, even with the flashes at 1/128 power. Distances between
the splash, diffuser and flashes vary.
These are sample pictures

taken with this style of
lighting.
Experiment with positions of

flashes and diffuser to get
the best lighting effects.
Want to see something very

cool? In the picture on the
left, there is a long tendril
coming out from the drop,
which is refracted neatly
through the water column!!
ISO - 200 f22.
You will notice that the light is quite harsh here which is why I would like to get an opaque
plexiglass diffuser. It would give a much softer light.
Bounce Lighting
Here I have the light from the four flashes bouncing off a white sheet of paper with a
coloured overhead transparency (page 35). I like the richness of the colours in this type of
lighting and have been using this lately. There is some glare from the lights in certain
areas, though.. Try to use non-reflective paper. The flash guns are positioned to be
directed only at the background, not the drops.
This image is done with This one is taken with the Directing the flash at the
the light bouncing off the flashes behind the glass drop has little effect on
white paper with coloured diffuser. There is extra light other than
plastic as directly above . considerable more light causing flash glare. Placing
Iso - 200 f-20 Flashes at using this method. a gel over the flash does
Iso-100 f-29 Flashes show a result.
1/64
-1/64
Lighting with Milk
Two flashes directed at the Two flashes towards the

splash. f16 splash & two to the
background. f16
Two flashes behind the frosted Here there are two flashes
glass. Only where the milk behind the glass & two
film is thin can the light shine towards the milk. f20
through. f16
The lighting with milk is quite different than with the water. Water is transparent and light
travels through it, but milk is opaque so the flashes will have to be directed more towards
the milk splash itself so the milk can reflect the light.
This is a sample of lighting for milk with the flash guns very close to the splash. I have the
top yellow flash suspended from the ceiling with a wire, although for other pictures I used
a tripod situated behind the glass of milk. For this type of lighting I used plain white skim
milk with a touch of cream. The colours are achieved using gels on the flashes – blue on
the left and red on the right. Sample splashes are directly below. The black background is
from a black t-shirt over a sheet of plexiglass.
These two samples are done using the set-up directly above.
*****
Blue gel on flash from above, red on the left and yellow on the right.
Blue gel on flash from above and red gels on flashes each side of drop.
Backgrounds
I also make my own gels out of school

supply plastics. These are simply taped
to the flash guns. You can also use velcro
to hold them in place.
For the past while I have been using overhead colour transparencies to get the coloured
backgrounds. These are transparent sheets, so for pictures with the flashes behind the
diffused glass, I tape them to the glass as on the one on the left. When I use flashes in
front of this to bounce the light, I tape them to a piece of paper with a dull finish so I won't
get a lot of glare on the splash. You can make them yourself:
In Photoshop:
Under File, hit “New” and a window opens up.
Give the document a name – Colour 1 or whatever
Make it - 8 1/2” x 11” (which is the max the printer will allow)
Resolution – 300. - RGB Colour - Background – Transparent
Hit “OK”
Now select your “Gradient Tool” and hit the “Sample Box” at the top.
Choose your gradient sample and use sliders to get the colour you want.
“OK” and apply gradient to the Background.
You can use Gaussian Blur to smooth the colour transitions.
You can have these printed at an office supply store such as “Staples”. Alternatively, you
can order the transparencies from a printing supply store and print them on your inkjet
printer. Make sure you use the “rough” side for printing. Check your printer's capabilities
before you order.
A caution about these - keep them light. There is quite a lot of banding, especially with
darker colours, so you don't want them too close to the splash zone or it will be quite
noticeable.
Here I have four coloured gels on the flashes to get the effect shown below. These
particular gels are found in the school supply department. Professional filters can be
bought at http://www.rosco.com/filters/index.cfm. These are also available from B & H, Amazon,
and Adorama. I have a blue and red filter I bought from a camera shop and they do show
signs of warping from the heat. I use a lot of masking tape;-)!! Gels are a good
alternative to the overhead transparencies, but you do lose a bit of light using them.
The flat surface on the drop reflects colour and light well.
Refractions from Background Colours
This is a set-up to show how some of the colour refraction effects are achieved with
samples in the pages following.
Overhead coloured transparency taped to white paper

I placed a red plastic sheet on each side

Then I added blue plastic sheets to the top & bottom

Finally, I added green plastic sheets beside the red ones.

Add some special effects from wrapping paper (below).

Add some bokeh from coloured glitter paper (below). Taken at f10
This glitter paper can be bought at a craft supply store.
This bokeh style from the above set-up. Made with http://www.bokehmasterskit.com/.
This is another method of applying the bokeh technique. Crumple and flatten tinfoil
and place behind tray. Use gel strips over the flash guns to get the colours. It's
difficult to get the colours balanced properly. The one flash facing this way is to
show the gel strips. I use one flash without a gel at the front to light the mid area.
A sample below. Aperture f8 Iso 200
Other Backgrounds
Overhead transparency
Spirograph Lid
Three coloured plastic sheets

Favourite spider-web shirt
T-shirt. A printed image is much better for symmetry and straight lines. Patterns
like this leave very cool effects in the ripples.
Painting. Cool effects in the ripples.
Compact Disk
CD behind drop
Simultaneous soap film & drop. I held a large wand with soap film directly behind the bowl.
This background is a record album sleeve from the electronic music

group Kode IV. The set-up below is how I got the colours. f10
In this set-up I have the album

sleeve upside down from a previous
demonstration. It doesn't make any
difference to this shot, however.
The liquid is plain tap water. The

colours in the drop come from the
plastic sheets the way I have them
placed here.
This also shows a good example of

refraction and reflection. The
colours are reflected on to the water
as placed behind the drop. The
cylindrical shape of the column of
water, however, refracts those
colours to the opposite sides.
Yes, lego blocks are useful to raise

the water tray. I have to raise it to
be slightly higher than the block I
use for the glass diffuser, etc.
*****
Techniques
Refractions/Reflections
A very cool technique is to put an image inside a drop of water. The image needs to be
placed upside-down behind the drop, which is then refracted right side up through the
water drop. This method takes advantage of refraction, which is the bending of light as it
passes from one medium to another. Water is a natural lens with a wide-angle/fish-eye
effect. Spherical refraction flips an image upside-down because the sphere, which is acting
as a lens, has a negative magnification. It is also inverted horizontally. This is why the
image behind the drop needs to be placed in this manner. In a reflection, the image is
mirrored and inverted only vertically, hence any wording will appear backwards.
For this one I have the camera 33 cm.(13") from the Here I moved the background picture up to 11 cm.
valve. The picture is 29 cm.(ll 1/2") behind the (4 1/2") behind the valve. Moving the image this
valve. At this distance there is a black border around close gives a fish-eye effect and includes less of
the image. the total image.
The Set-Up for the Hawkeye Refraction
For each image, the flashes are strategically positioned near the edges of the
image to get the least amount of flash glare as possible. I prefer to use a
black backdrop for the refractions; it gives a nice touch of a black border in
the drop.
For a refraction in a drop, the image must In a reflection, the image is placed
be placed upside-down behind the water upside-down behind the tray to get it
valve. The image gets totally inverted right-side up in the water. However, the
vertically and horizontally. In the drop it image is reflected vertically, there is no
will appear as normal. refraction, so letters will read backwards.
When focusing for a

refraction image, I use
the front of the water
valve as a focus aid. It
seems to be pretty
accurate. Sometimes
I need to do a small
tweak on the focus
ring to get it as clear
as possible.
Remember, the image

is refracted on to the
front of the drop, not
the middle.
In this one, instead of

directing the flashes
at the image, I
pointed them at the
drop itself. It causes
a lot of glare on the
picture. It's much
better to aim them at
the background
image, away from the
drop.
Drops in a Bubble
Drops in a bubble are fun to make. I use the regular bubble-blowing liquid for these; dish
detergent diluted with water will also work. Add a few drops of glycerine to strengthen the
bubble mixture. Simply blow a bubble on to the surface of the water. Check your drop
zone and either gently blow the bubble to that area or move it with the bubble wand.
Another way to reposition the bubble is with a wet finger. A dry finger will not work - it has
to be wet. You might have to increase the size of the drop because it does lose some
momentum after it hits the soap film.
Crowns
The milk coronet was popularized by Harold “Doc” Edgerton. It consisted of one drop of
milk falling into a pool of milk or water. The following cream shapes are made with a drop
of cream falling on to a base drop made from cream or acrylic paint diluted with water.
These particular drops are not falling into a pool of liquid, but on black plexiglass.
Both these drops are from the reservoir, not done Here again, the base drop is from the reservoir. Table
manually. The base drop has landed and the 2nd cream with yellow food dye. The other colours come
drop will make the crown. Colours from gels. from gels on the flash guns.
The base drop of red is placed slightly forward to One drop on the base is good. The next one makes
give a “lip” effect. a big mess. Neon acrylic paint. This one is done
using a faucet washer with a steel ball on top of it.
Resized and sharpened only. There is very little An overhead view of the way I apply the base
mess with the acrylic paints when thick enough drops. These are acrylic paints diluted with water
and applied with a toothpick.
Made with thick acrylic paint for the base drops.
Here I used neon acrylic paint and set a later flash lag.
This is the set-up I use for the cream crowns.
This is how I make the cream bowls/crowns. These are triggered electronically. In the
drop reservoir I use table cream with some food dye. For the colors in the base drop I am
using regular or neon acrylic paint diluted with a bit of water. If the bowl doesn't form, I
dilute some more. I am using black plexiglass for good reflections. This is held in place
with non-skid pads. The black backdrop does very little here because the plexi is quite
long. I have made a mark on the glass to show where the drop will land. On here I use a
toothpick to place tiny drops of paint. I then release a drop on to this. If the cream and
the paint are thick enough, you will get a bowl with little or no mess. To get one with more
droplets on the rim, dilute more. A second drop on to this mixture will make a huge mess,
so only one drop for me. Then clean up with paper towels and a damp cloth, buff with a
dry towel and you're good to go again. I also use a no-static dryer sheet to stop the paint
from streaking out from the static. It travels!!! I like having two flashes aimed at the
front of the drop for reflections and one on top for the inside.
Made with thick acrylic paint. I Four yr. old Phoenix did this one. Six yr. old Winter arranged the
like how these look like glass. tiny droplets for the base in this.
The Bowl of Valentines
How I made this composite image:
I took the cap on this splash, “Liquified” it into a heart, and put some in a cream bowl.
I have all three pictures open in Photoshop. I duplicated the originals and used the
“Liquify” filter to make the heart. Always work on the duplicate! I left some flash glare on
it so it wouldn't look flat. I used the Quick Selection Tool and selected the heart. I hit
“Refine Edge” and did a small smooth and feather. I'll not use shortcuts here. I hit Edit –
copy. Then I went to the image with the bowl. Edit – paste. There's your heart. Take the
“Move” tool and drag it where it should go. Under Edit – hit “Free Transform”. Now you
have a square box around the heart. Use the arrows to resize, shape and angle. Hit the
check, okay! For every heart you want, do the same thing – Edit – paste – move – free
transform – okay! Go crazy. You can even reshape some with the Liquify filter if you want.
For every heart you put there, you are making a new layer. To make any changes to an
existing heart, simply click on that one to make changes. When you are done, under
“Layer” - hit “Flatten Image”, and that's it.
*****
Some Other Techniques
In this, I triggered the drop, then lit a lighter hoping to get it in the right
spot. Exp.-1.6 sec. Iso–320 f18
I inverted the colours in Photoshop.

Here I also triggered the drop first, then used finger led lights for some light-
painting effects. A bit of distortion in this one.
Exp.-2.5 sec. Iso-200 f20
This is my pan & drop method. I keep the push button held down and while the drops are
falling, I am panning the camera to catch them all in one exposure.
Exp.-2 sec. Iso-250 f20
For this one I used black & white papers behind a wine glass half filled with water.
The background gets refracted through the water. Exp.-½ sec. Iso-100 f16
Here I manually triggered the blue flash from above to get the splash at an earlier stage.
Red gel on the left; green on the right. Exp.-½ sec. Iso- 200 f16
In post-edit, I selected the drop with the Quick Selection Tool, inversed this and put a zoom
blur on the bokeh background. Exp.- ½ sec. Iso-200 f8
*****
The Time Machine Method
This is the basic equipment needed for The Time The Time Machine method with
Machine. modifications I have made.
The picture on the left is the basic set-up for the Drip Kit which is an accessory to the
Mumford Time Machine - http://www.bmumford.com/. You need a small, sturdy tripod for the
reservoir, that's it! It's very portable. No stationary contraption to build to hold the
reservoir. It's very easy to assemble and the instructions to put it all together are very
clear. You will also need a shutter cable to connect your camera to the Time Machine,
shutter button, cables, flash extensions, sync splitter for multiple flashes, etc. Bryan will
let you know what's needed for your particular camera brand.
Above right is a picture of some slight modifications I made for the reservoir and valve.
These are supported by the aluminum angle which is attached to the
ceiling beam and is quite sturdy. It is stationary, but the desk is moveable
if it needs to be repositioned. It will be modified when I find the right
materials. The new reservoir has the same capacity as the old one. It is
held fast to the angle with a hose clamp, fitted snugly, but loose enough
to freely move up and down. I have melted a hole in the reservoir and
inserted a brass extension to which a small flexible hose is attached. The
other end, then, fits on the extension on the valve. The valve is
supported by a small clamp. This way, the valve, plus the reservoir can
be moved independently. This allows one more variable to the settings.
Moving the reservoir up increases the pressure of the drop;moving it
down decreases pressure. So when the fluid in the reservoir decreases, moving it up will
help replace that lost pressure.
This is The Time Machine and black Control Box for the Drip Kit. Bottom left is the push
button & cable to initiate the drop sequence. Bottom right is the shutter cable. Top right is
the solenoid valve plus cable. Top center, a cable to send signals from the Time Machine to
the control box. Top left – power cord, and to the right of this is the cord to the flash guns.
The Process: Hit the push button, the shutter opens, the drops fall, the flashes fire, and
the shutter closes. All this takes ½ second which is why my Exposure is always set to this.
If I have the interval between drops set ridiculously high, or I use an extra long flash lag,
then I have to use a longer exposure.
The Time Machine itself has a closed interface and panel, so there is very little chance of
liquids entering the box and messing up the controls. As well as the Drip Kit, the Time
Machine has some other great functions which you can see on the website.
As with all equipment, care must be taken to keep it dry and clean. Have caution where
you position it so that it won't fall on the floor. Keep all cords positioned so you won't trip
over them and risk damaging the equipment.
Care of the valve is important. When you are finished the session, run clean, warm water
through the valve to ensure no sticky, fatty residue from cream or additives is left in the
valve. To do this, fill the reservoir with some warm water, then hit the red reset button
which will send a short stream of water through the valve. After a few of these, empty the
reservoir and again hit the reset button to remove any water left in the valve outlets.
Remove any extensions and clean them out with a pipe cleaner or similar. To further clean
the valve, I use a short piece of pipe cleaner with the wire ends completely bent back so no
damage will come to the valve.
Here you set the parameters for the drops.
Set the drop count. I always Set the interval/distance Set the size of the drop. This
have mine set to 2 drops. between the drops in seconds. is the time, in seconds, that
the valve stays open to form a
drop.
Set the time, in seconds, when Here you can advance the Hit the trigger!
the flashes fire. timing of the drops by 1/1000th
of a second. This is useful for
time lapse sequences, etc.
*****
Manual Methods
Steady Drip Method
This is a manual drip method I rigged up to show a way to get drops without the use of
electronics. This is my usual reservoir I use now, but attached to it is an air regulator
valve I purchased at an aquarium shop. It has a handy dial at the top of it to control the
rate of flow. It is designed for air flow in a fish tank, but works well for drops. To trigger
these, I used the remote shutter release cable and my Canon 7D wireless to activate the
flashes. The Yongnou flashes were set to “Manual” and “Slave”. In the camera settings,
with the Yongnou's, you can set the Wireless function to “Disable” and they work. For the
Speedlites, you have to “Enable” the Wireless function.
Open the valve until the flow of the drops are about 1 cm. (¼”) apart. To leave the water
undisturbed, hold a cup under the flow. It's the first two drops you want to capture.
Remove the cup and let the drops fall. When you think the timing is right, hit the shutter
button and have a look. Don't forget to replace the cup or turn the valve off. This takes a
lot of trial and error to get the timing right. I did one session of these and got a success
rate of about 10 out of 50 with some sort of shape. I'll include samples on the next page.
Samples Using the Steady Drip Method

Medicine Dropper Method
I started out in water drop photography with this method and I used this for a year before
I got electronics. It's a hit and miss operation, but I had the timing down and had a lot of
success with it.
Again, I used a remote shutter release cable to trigger the shutter and the flashes
wirelessly, as with the Steady Drip Method previous. The Yongnou flashes were set to
“Manual” and “Slave”.
I use gentle pressure to release two drops and hit the shutter button when they land in the
water. A lot of trial and error in this method as well. When I was doing these a lot, I got
used to the pressure and the timing, but for one session after three years, I had a low
success rate. I had a better rate with the regulator drip method because at least the drop
rate was constant. With a dropper, the drop rate fluctuates every time and you hope for a
lot of luck with a decent shape. The drop size was a bit larger with the medicine dropper.
Samples Using the Medicine Dropper Method
*****
Liquid Flow
All these images are inverted 180° to give it an effect where it looks like the fluids are
rising. This technique takes advantage of the Rayleigh Taylor instability effect of an
interface between two fluids of different densities. In the case of these liquid images,
when the cream enters the fluid of a lesser density, the water, gravity pulls the denser fluid
through the lighter one.
This is table cream with food dye. It is smooth This is with acrylic paint. When the red is
and has a nice flow. You can see how the introduced to the water, it reacts wildly and
cream branches out as it descends into the forces the other colours to the rim to form a
water. type of wall.
This is the set-up I use for the liquid cream drops. I use a small 5 litre (1 1/3 gal) plastic
aquarium filled with water. The liquids I use are table cream coloured with food dye, and
acrylic paint diluted with water or cream. Acrylic paint and cream or water don't get along
well and cause quite a commotion in the tank. Cream is smooth and easy to work with,
but the acrylics bring some cool results. I use the remote shutter cable to trigger the
shutter and my Canon 7D wireless feature to activate the flashes. For the wireless
transmitter to operate, my pop-up flash needs to be open for the sensor to send the
signals to the flash guns . Unfortunately, the camera still sends out a small flash from this,
so I cover this with some foil or paper so that the flash won't cause glare on the front of
the tank. This way, the sensor can still send the signal, but the light from the pop-up flash
is redirected away from the tank. Take care not to place anything directly over the flash or
it may overheat and damage it.
One flash is a little higher than the other to cover both the top and bottom portions of the
cream flow. The flash above the tank takes care of the base. You can see that the angle
of the camera to the tank is low in order to include the base of the drop at the water
surface. The third flash is suspended over the tank, supported by the aluminum angle you
see in many set-up pictures. The cloth is there for protection from scratches.
I use regular food dye (the tall bottles), acrylic paint and cream. I make the paint/cream
mixtures in shot glasses and use small medicine droppers to release the drops into the
tank.
My settings are – Exposure – 1/250 to sync with the flashes, Iso 100 or 200, Aperture – 25
to 29, Flash power – usually 1/64 or 1/32.
Gentle pressure on the medicine dropper results in a shape like the one on the left, which
branches out as it descends; a quick squeeze of the bulb produces a plume (or jet). The
flash glare is just out of range of the frame.
The Process:
I fill the tank with cold tap water, then use a bundle of pipe cleaners to wipe any bubbles
from the front and back of the tank. It is advisable at this point to let the water settle for a
couple of minutes until all the tiny bubbles have disappeared. Use gentle pressure on the
bulb for a single drop, a quick hard squeeze for a jet, (or plume). Then use the remote
cable release to take a couple of shots as the cream descends. You can do a few single
drops before the water gets too murky, but once you use the jet, there's too much cream
in the water to get a nice, clear shape.
Eject a lot of cream to the bottom and take advantage of a

large cloud of the cream rising. This one is not rotated.
The line I have coloured green is a fishing line which fits through two holes I have melted
in the sides of the tank. This is my guide for dropping the cream. To get good focus, I
rest a ruler upright against this line and focus on the lines of the ruler.
A plume of cream dyed with food colour dropped into a sea of white cream
and light acrylic paint.
How I Did the Five Plumes
I was determined to get five plumes in one shot. It really was very difficult. I went out
and bought a chip bag clip for this and taped a couple of smooth pieces of wood to the
inside for even pressure on the bulbs. The hardest part was to get all the plumes an even
height. In most of them, the middle ones were always a bit shorter. I had to make some
adjustments and put more pressure on the middle ones. I had the shutter cable release
taped to the floor to trigger it with my foot because I needed two hands for this one. Then
it was a matter of getting the drop and the shutter timed properly. It took a lot of shots to
get it close to the way I wanted it, but the challenge was met.
Cream Flow/Splash Combination
Here is where I fill the tank to the halfway marker and use the top half to do a mushroom
splash over the cream flow. Now I have the drip kit situated above the tank as well. The
flashes are now triggered by the Time Machine. I quickly drop some cream into the water
and immediately activate the drop sequence before the cream gets too low. The trick is to
get your hand away in time before the drops fall. The picture above right shows that I was
a bit late.
This is a double
exposure where I take
one of the three
flashes and trigger it
manually to show the
splash in a later stage
and get extra colour
below.
Set-up for the splash/flow combo.

Mirror and Flip Technique
Some of the images are suitable for the mirror and flip method. I will explain this:
1. Open the image in Photoshop.
2. Do a free-form (clear) crop on half the image. (I like my images the same ratio as the
original, so I try to get it exactly half or do a small tweak in Image Size when I'm all
finished .) Hit check when you are satisfied with position. (It is at this point where you will
need to do any editing work to your image. For this one, since the black background is
messy, I used the Brush tool, Normal setting, selected black as the colour, and painted the
background at 100% opacity. To do any shading, I reduced the opacity and darkened
some of the areas at the top with a soft brush. If the background is not too bad, simply
darken the black areas with “Levels” and save yourself a lot of time. )
3. Layer – Duplicate layer – Ok
4. Image – Canvas size – New size – Width - drop down and choose % - 200% - anchor -
to left or right (left for above sample in this case) – Ok. (now you will have a full size
image with one side blank.
5. Edit – Transform – Flip Horizontal (this will flip the image over and put it on top of the
original crop.)
6. Choose the “Move” tool and slide the flipped image over to the blank side. Voila! (At
this point, if I am not satisfied with the result of the crop, I simply Undo and go back to the
crop stage. If something needs to be moved slightly, you can use the Liquify filter to make
a small adjustment. )
7. Layer – Flatten Image.
8. Check that the seam in the middle is smooth. You may need to use the Clone tool to
smooth out any lines left from the merge.
As in the sample above, I drop different colours in quick succession to get as much in the
frame as possible. You can see at the base of the drop, the outside of the circle is white
from the first drop, then blue, then red. Someone asked me once about the reason for the
colours in the base circle and it's from the order of the coloured cream drops as they enter
the water.
*****
The original – cropped to fit on this page. Split in half
The finished product – mirrored and flipped. I highlighted some of the darker areas with the Dodge
tool and used the crop tool to extend the bottom of the picture for better balance.
*****
Work-flow
First, I will clarify that this is not a Photoshop tutorial. It is simply a brief description of the
methods I use for my water drop images.
I open a Raw image in Adobe Camera Raw. I make any changes to exposure, light level
adjustments, clarity, etc., that need to be tweaked. If there is any noise, I will adjust with
the luminance sliders. Then I open it in Photoshop CS5.
I duplicate the original, and work on the duplicate. This way you always have the original
file. Next, I use the “Tiff” file format so that I can save after every adjustment is finalized.
If I make a mistake or don't like the adjustments, I can go back to a time before the
adjustments were made. Also, the Tiff file is uncompressed so no quality is lost.
The first thing I do is to crop out any edges of the water container and straighten, if
necessary. Next, I get rid of all the stray droplets, sensor spots, bubbles, etc. For this I
use the Spot Healing Brush tool along with the Clone tool for larger areas and spots that
are very close to the parts of the splash. First I use the Spot Healing Brush to get rid of
stray droplets, smudges from the background, sensor spots, etc. Then I attack the
bubbles on the water surface with the Clone tool.
The next thing I do is to make an Adjustment – Levels “Check” Layer. I bring the midtone
slider over to darken the image. On the background layer, I now catch all the spots I
missed on the first pass. If I am working on an image with a black background, I will
move the slider over to lighten the image. Also, on this Adjustment Layer, I can easily spot
any areas that are too dark or too light and very softly use the Dodge (lighten) and Burn
(darken) tools to adjust these. When I am satisfied, I delete this “Check” Layer.
This Adjustment “check” layer is a good way to check all your photographic images. It's
surprising how many sensor spots you will notice, especially in a shot with a sky.
Next, I make another Adjustment layer for selective colour and use this to bring out certain
colours. My red food dye has too much magenta in it, so I will tweak that to bring out a
richer red. A good tutorial on Adjustment layers -http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=zk4gpNVwPd8
– you may have to copy & paste this link in the YouTube search bar.
Lastly, I make a Levels Adjustment layer for light and contrast balance.
I save the Tiff file with all the layers in order to safely make any adjustments in future, if
necessary. I then save as a Jpeg.
For display on the web I resize and sharpen. I usually save at 1,000 pixels on the long
side, and to sharpen, I use Unsharp Mask at Amount -100%, radius – 0.2 pixels, threshold
– 0 levels. Then I hit Ok a few times until it looks too sharp, then bring it back a bit until it
looks realistic.
Save as a Jpeg, mid-quality, and I'm done.

Before After
Exposure ½ second, Aperture – f18, Iso – 200.
I used this one as a sample because it needed a bit of everything. The lighting was a bit
too dark, it had lots of stray droplets, a bit of the container showing, and a few bubbles on
the water. The ideal thing is to have the proper lighting, keep the bowl filled, and blow
away the bubbles as you go so you don't have too much to do in post.
Before After
*****
Journey of a Splash
This is a sequence of drops showing how I get the fancy splashes and how the changes in
the settings on The Time Machine affect the shape of the splash. I did four series of these
and they were all different. This is not a guide to get the three drop splash – so many
factors are involved with splashes and even while I chose the same settings for all four
series, each was different in the results. Slightest changes make a difference.
For this series, I used the regular drip kit that is held on by the tripod above the water, as
in the picture on the left under The Time Machine Method section, Page 69. I did not use
my modified version as shown in the picture on the right on this page.
For this series, the distance of the tip of the valve to the water surface is 42 cm. (16½”).
The distance from the camera lens to the drop was 46 cm. (18”). Flashes at 1/64 power.
Exposure – 0.5 seconds. ISO – 200. Aperture – f18. I kept the reservoir at 250 ml.
I did a batch edit on these – just resize and sharpen.
For the captions under the pictures, I show the difference in the interval between the
drops, the size of the drops, and the flash lag which is the stage in which the flashes fire.
For ease of describing the settings I show: Example – I-50 S-80 FL-265. “I” is for the
interval between the drops. “S” is for the size of the drop. “FL” is for the flash lag, the
timing I set to have the flashes fire.
For the first few, I am starting off with food dye and plain tap water, no additives.
I-50 S-70 FL-280 I–30 S-70 FL-280

This is my basic starting point Changing the interval between drops.
I-18 S-70 FL- 280 I-65 S-70 FL- 280

It is quite short and stubby now. With a higher interval it becomes taller.
I-80 S-70 FL- 280 I- 95 S- 70 FL- 280 Note the change

Even higher – a collision above the jet. in the base between this and top left.
I- 110 S-70 FL- 280 Back to basic. I-50 S-70 FL- 280
The jet has almost disappeared.
I- 50 S- 75 FL- 280 I- 50 S-80 FL- 280

Now changing the size of the drop.
I- 50 S-85 FL- 280 I- 50 S-60 FL- 280

With plain water you lose control easily. Going down in size now.
I- 50 S- 50 FL- 280 Back to basic. I-50 S- 70 FL- 280

Too small to make a collision.
Changing flash timing. I-50 S- 70 FL- I- 50 S- 70 FL- 290

270 Too early for a collision.
I- 50 S- 70 FL- 300 I- 50 S- 70 FL- 310

A very late flash delay. Far enough. No shape left.
I- 50 S- 70 FL-280 This time I added I- 50 S- 80 FL- 280. I needed to make

some xanthan gum mixture. I added 1/3 the size larger with this thicker mixture
cup mixture to 2/3 c. water
I- 50 S- 85 FL- 280 I- 50 S-90 FL- 280. Out of control!!

I-25 S- 94 FL- 280. Getting taller. I- 25 S- 94 FL- 260. Added some of the "magic"
lotion. It cuts through the surface tension of the water
like crazy. Added blue dye to the water in the bowl.
I- 24 S- 93 FL- 264. Sometimes you I- 26 S- 93 FL- 260. Since this one

get just a blob after adding the lotion emerged, I'll continue with this style.
I- 25 S- 93 FL- 266 You get these I- 25 S- 94 FL- 266 When you hear
with an extra large drop size. the “plop” when it lands, you get these.
I- 24 S- 94 FL- 266. Slight changes in I- 24 S- 94 FL- 266 Each one is

any setting make a difference. different at these sizes.
I- 14 S- 95 FL-251 I- 14 S- 97 FL- 245 Notice the shape

A very short interval gets another shape. of the drops coming down.
I- 14 S- 96 FL- 245 I- 50 S- 94 FL- 264

A later flash delay. A very late flash lag. The bubble is gone.
I-25 S- 85 FL- 265 I- 25 S- 85 FL- 265 same as before.

A smaller size results in this one. They go this way/that way!
I- 25 S- 85 FL- 270 A later flash lag I- 25 S- 85 FL- 275

and the little cap slithers down the jet.
I- 25 S- 85 FL- 280 I- 25 S- 88 FL- 265

Catching the splash at an earlier stage.
I- 25 S- 88 FL- 255 I-18 S- 88 FL- 255 A shorter

interval shows impact much sooner.
I- 16 S- 88 FL- 255 I- 17 S- 98 FL- 272

Added some more gum mixture.
I- 33 S- 96 FL- 289 I- 33 S- 96 FL- 277

I- 28 S- 94 FL- 273 I- 24 S- 111 FL- 284.

Added a large squirt of the lotion.
These last two I don't have settings for. Usually when I'm finished for the night, I end up dumping
great amounts of additives in the reservoir. Lots of gum, lots of magic solution. This is what came
out of it. Pretty cool. It's fun to experiment and see where it takes you. Serendipity !!!
I- 23 S- 90 FL- 268
My Signature 3 Drop Splash

Serendipity
The “happy accidents” or pleasant surprises” that turn up in a drop session.
I think maybe I added too much gum and magic solution :-)
Closing Remarks
If I have omitted any information, it has been purely unintentional. I have included what
works for me and for the methods I use. It is a constant learning curve. There are many
areas where I can make improvements. I am always looking for ways to improve the
lighting situation, which I feel is most important with photography.
In the past four years, since I started with water drop photography, I have never asked for
any help or advice in the how-to's. If I couldn't figure it out, I didn't do it. There were few
tutorials when I started out and the little I found was of great benefit in getting started
with the basics.
The aim of this book has been to help you get started in water drop photography, and learn
from my experiences over the years. It's quite mind-boggling starting out, and I hope the
information here will be of some help.
Over time, I have studied the drops and how they behave. It's good to learn the basics,
understand the situation, and know from looking at a drop what changes you need to make
to get the desired result. Don't be afraid to experiment! It's what brings the unique.
Be inspired. Stand out and be unique! Most of all – have fun with it. It's an exciting
feeling to have something show up on your screen which is totally different from anything
you've done before. There is always something new to be found.
Water drop photography relaxes me! When I'm in my studio shooting some drops, there is
nothing else. The creative experience is refreshing and exciting.
*****
Credits
I am deeply grateful for input from a couple of people in the making of this ebook. A lot
of the information would not have been included without their invaluable suggestions.
Bryan Mumford: Inventor - The Time Machine - http://www.bmumford.com/
Ellen Anon: Photographer/Writer/Instructor - http://ellenanon.com/
*****
Udi Tirosh: http://www.diyphotography.net/ - (hasn't been involved with this book but has
been extremely generous over the years in sharing my techniques on his website.)
Martin Waugh: http://www.liquidsculpture.com/ - My inspiration.
*****
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever.
Copyright - ©Corrie White – 2013 – All Rights Reserved
*****

Corrie White - The Ultimate Guide To Water Drop Photography

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Corrie White - The Ultimate Guide To Water Drop Photography

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*****

I am pleased to present a very comprehensive guide to water drop photography. It is

Liquids & Additives......................14 - Crowns................................... 59

Magic Ingredient.........................15 - Others.................................... 64

Birth of a Drop........................... 16 Time Machine Method................. 69

Splash Reflections.......................21 Liquid Flow................................ 76

- Lighting with Milk..................... 32

On my right is a small desk with a small audio system. Music is necessary!

It is highly recommended to use a dslr for this type of photography. It is

I now use four Yongnuo

I have a “Flash” section,

The Yongnuo’s are great -

The tall tripods are used to support the

I use a lot of other equipment, which you will

A lot of people use a laptop computer to

What Color of Tray is Best?

This is taken in a white tray with focus on the reflected image.

Also in a white tray - focus on the drop zone.

Liquids & Additives

The Magic Ingredient

Nature Clean All Purpose Cleaning Lotion

You can get the information here: http://www.naturecleanliving.com/all_purpose_cleaning_lotion.

Evolution of the Splash

The Three Drop Splash. A The Bubble Splash. Using a

How Tall Is A Drop?

Distance Between Drops

A higher interval. With larger Here the distance is so great,

The Slo-Mo guys have a great video on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNI-LIVs-to

I did a “time lapse” of a sequence of drops – http://bit.ly/NllEd7. It shows how a drop is

I have another similar one with milk on Flickr -http://bit.ly/12vitbI.

Ambient Light & Motion Blur

Flash Exposure Compensation

Using the Yongnuo YN560-ll Flashes

Examples of Lighting with One to Four Flashes

These are sample pictures

Experiment with positions of

Want to see something very

ISO - 200 f22.

Lighting with Milk

Two flashes directed at the Two flashes towards the

I also make my own gels out of school

Refractions from Background Colours

Overhead coloured transparency taped to white paper

I placed a red plastic sheet on each side

Then I added blue plastic sheets to the top & bottom

Finally, I added green plastic sheets beside the red ones.

Add some special effects from wrapping paper (below).

Three coloured plastic sheets

Favourite spider-web shirt

Painting. Cool effects in the ripples.

This background is a record album sleeve from the electronic music

In this set-up I have the album

The liquid is plain tap water. The

This also shows a good example of

Yes, lego blocks are useful to raise

The Set-Up for the Hawkeye Refraction

When focusing for a

Remember, the image

In this one, instead of

Made with thick acrylic paint for the base drops.

This is the set-up I use for the cream crowns.

The Bowl of Valentines

How I made this composite image: