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Paulo Uemura
{K:2330} 2/19/2009
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Interesting picture
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stingRay pt.4 .
{K:250401} 10/6/2008
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Quite incredible AJ. Beautiful rich toning and great detail. Cheers.....Ray
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CAGATAY ATASAGUN
{K:21564} 9/23/2008
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Thank you very for your kind response Dear AJ,
I may need this image , so I would like to be in touch with you in future.
Kind regards,
Cagatay
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AJ Miller
{K:49168} 9/23/2008
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Many thanks for your comment, Cagatay. The original crop (ie. before resizing for UF) is 1460x1460 pixels.
AJ
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CAGATAY ATASAGUN
{K:21564} 9/23/2008
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I liked this shot ( right on time for enlarging drop circle )
Could you please advise me how much resolution original image has ?
Kind regards,
Cagatay
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k o c (saatci)
{K:8257} 9/9/2008
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The colors and light are very good. Excellent work! Congratulations!
Regards.
Kemal
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Nick Karagiaouroglou
{K:127263} 7/30/2008
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OK, so the complete physics of the phenomenon is understood now! Thanks a lot, AJ!
Cheers!
Nick
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AJ Miller
{K:49168} 7/29/2008
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Hi Nick! Yes, I think your explanation of the "bump" being from the previous drop is correct.
AJ
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Nick Karagiaouroglou
{K:127263} 7/29/2008
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And how you confused me, AJ! It is even better then! A great way to photographically simulate reality to such a degree of absolute perfection!
Thank you very very much for the detailed info about the making! Only one more question (like Columbo ;-)) That apparent "bump" under the drop that just touches the glass on its surface... what is it? It can't be the temporary cavity just before the splash because the surface was hard glass, but what is it then? Perhaps a mini bump on the thin layer of water from the previous drop?
Interesting physics I see here!!!
Cheers!
Nick
P.S.: About the tiny blurring, I guess it is really not motion blur but a side effect of the shallow DoF. At 1/6400 ( about 1.5 *ten-thousendth* of a second! ) any falling drop simply stands on thin air.
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AJ Miller
{K:49168} 7/28/2008
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Many thanks for your detailed critique, Nick. I always enjoy hearing from you as your comments are invariably thoughtful and often pick-up on some detail I have missed.
Yes, there does appear to be a little motion blur (which is perhaps surprising at 1/6400), or perhaps it's due to the very shallow DOF.
However, I am happy to see that I have confused you with this one! The surface onto which the drops are falling is actually a sheet of glass placed over green paper. What you see is the second drop hitting the first drop that is spreading across the surface of the glass. The drops themselves are tinted with a little food colouring.
AJ
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Nick Karagiaouroglou
{K:127263} 7/28/2008
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Very very well done and "harmonious" in colors, shapes, and pverall composition/desing, AJ! The droplet that is next to the water surface is just about to splash - but not yet! Ans so we completely and definitely see what happens right before the splash: The surface tension governs the phenomenon for some tiny microseconds and the surface gets a small temporary bump! Fantastic and ideal not only as a lesson in good photography but also as a lesson in physics! (I just *have* to be enthusiastic with that, ey? ;-)) The high speed sync worked perfectly!
Apart from the many curved surfaces of droplets that reflect light so exactly, I find the green surface and the "crown" to be the perfect reference for depth and in general for the information about *where* all this takes place! Without that, and the few reflected drops, it would be hard to see that as clearly and immediately.
There is a mimimal motion blur, if I see it right, but nothing really disturbing on this one. BTW, how dod you get that coloring? Different water colors in standing and falling water? Or was that dropping whisky in lemon juice? ;-)
Cheers!
Nick
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AJ Miller
{K:49168} 7/28/2008
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Yes, Dave, I'm talking flash. I'm using a very ordinary flash, designed to work with Nikon cameras, but with the Nikon-specific contacts taped out so that I can force the flash to fire at shutter speeds higher than 1/500.
AJ
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Dave Arnold
{K:55680} 7/28/2008
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Phew. I don't even know where to begin to get this. You threw me with that "high speed sync" comment... I am going to assume you are talking sync flash? Is this some type of special flash? I wasn't kidding, I want to play with this, it is so cool....
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biljana mitrovic
{K:48110} 7/23/2008
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Thank you AJ
you are so very kind and great teacher...now everything is on me and my Oly ...I know that I must make thousands and thousands pics and than choose the best one for uf.....:))I just hope I will be able to do this for few months...and I hope you'll be satisfied with your student :)))
Thanks again :)
biljana
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AJ Miller
{K:49168} 7/22/2008
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[contd]
A lot of people making drop shots use electronics to fire the flash at exactly the right moment, but I don't really want to go down that path. I find that I very quickly get the feel of when to press the shutter and it is unusual to miss the splash completely.
I had a quick look at the camera you use. You need to sync the flash with a fast shutter. I tend to use 1/3200 of 1/6400 (which requires a minor modification to the flash on my Nikon), but have managed with 1/2000 on my Minolta in the past. I suspect that your Olympus is similar to the Minolta. The main question will be whether or not the flash will operate at this speed.
I guess it goes without saying that you use a tripod, focus manually and fix all the settings manually.
I would suggest that you just go for it. Take a couple of hundred shots and post the best one on UF, asking for serious critiques and advice. I have received quite a bit of help this way.
Good luck - I'm waiting for your splashes!
AJ
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AJ Miller
{K:49168} 7/22/2008
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Well, thank you Biljana!
You ask me to tell you how to try this. Hm, where to start?
First of all, let me say that these have still got some way to go before they get anywhere close to "perfect". For some drops that are truly perfect, you might be interested in the splashes of Martin Waugh: www.liquidsculpture.com. He provides lots of tips on his blog, though never quite seems to give a complete explanation.
I have generally put a bit of explanation under my drop shots and in comments. However, it is probably true to say that I usually don't give the full story either! For example, in this one the drops are falling onto a sheet of glass, which may not be obvious...
It's really down to patience and experimentation. Try a few, decide what's not quite right, then think of a way to improve.
I have tried various ways of making the drops but have now gone back to my original method of an 8cm length of drinking straw. I hold my finger over the end to pick up the liquid, release my finger to drop it. A recent development of this is to tape a small funnel to a support above the surface onto which the drop is to fall, and poke the drinking straw through it. This way I make sure the drop falls in exactly the right place each time. Try different heights and different straw widths. I would like to try using a turkey baster to make the drops, but cannot find such a thing in Spain or Poland.
Different liquids behave in different ways. Water is difficult to handle, but becomes much easier if you add soap or something else to make it a little more viscous. Food colouring is also fun!
Next time I try this (which will not be for a couple of months), I will be adjusting the lighting by using an off-camera flash. This will enable me to light the drop from the side (or wherever) rather than from in front. I will also try using a cabled remote release rather than the infra-red remote release I currently use. The IRR lacks that direct contact feel necessary for split second timing. I did try without a remote but the constant stretching was hard work and uncomfortable.
Well I've just learnt something else - comments appear to be limited to 2500 characters, so I'll have to continue this in a separate comment...
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biljana mitrovic
{K:48110} 7/22/2008
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I want to have something like this :)))))
perfect !!!
can you tell me how to try to make something similar,how to try to make perfect drop...it's my big dream :)
big hug
biljana
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Srna Stankovic
{K:172232} 7/8/2008
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Yeap, me to be patiant to catch you uploading another one, so right :))) Would never try something like this by myself :)
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AJ Miller
{K:49168} 7/8/2008
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Many thanks, Srna. If you are also patient, you might just catch me uploading another one!
AJ
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AJ Miller
{K:49168} 7/8/2008
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Many thanks Joggie - your detailed comments are very much appreciated.
The seamless foreground / background comes about because the drops are actually landing on a sheet of glass. And I am wondering whether, after many shots, the glass was not as clean as it might have been. Nevertheless, it had not occurred to me that while an ISO up to 800 might be generally acceptable, a lower ISO might be necessary for macro shots.
AJ
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Srna Stankovic
{K:172232} 7/8/2008
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Can just admire your work AJ and your patience, awesome !!!
Bravo !!!
Hugs,
Srna
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Joggie van Staden
{K:41700} 7/8/2008
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Hi AJ - excellent work and I am sure it will get better as you experiment even more. I think you did a great job with the seamless fore- and background while the timing was perfect. If I could critique - I think the ISO 640 on the D70s is pushing it and is the main reason for the noise as well as the loss of definition on the drops itself. I understand the reason behind the choice - high speed to freeze the action, f22 to get the whole ring in focus. On my D70 and even on my D200 I very seldom push the ISO higher than 400 to prevent excessive noise deteriorating the definition - especially in macro work. I would opt for a lower ISO and live with the slight decrease in depth of field - the overall impact will be worth it. NeatImage may also help to clean and sharpen (freeware, quick and good).
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Marlyce Chastain
{K:4071} 7/6/2008
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As usual, a very awesome shot. Looks like to much work for me to try this. Love all your water shots.
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AJ Miller
{K:49168} 7/2/2008
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Many thanks, Andree - and I'm very happy to see you posting a few shots yourself.
AJ
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AJ Miller
{K:49168} 7/2/2008
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Thanks, Mitra. The impact effect here was something new that I learnt to create during this particular session.
AJ
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AJ Miller
{K:49168} 7/2/2008
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Thanks Keith. As I mentioned above in my reply to Avi, it would be possible to crop this differently to produce a centralised composition. As to the classes, well, I haven't graduated yet myself...
AJ
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AJ Miller
{K:49168} 7/2/2008
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Many thanks for your comment, Francesco.
AJ
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AJ Miller
{K:49168} 7/2/2008
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Many thanks, Ania. With a little patience, these shots eventually come together!
AJ
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andree lerat
{K:17476} 6/28/2008
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WOW... this is perfectly captured. :) Andree
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Mitra Nademi-Nassari
{K:28234} 6/28/2008
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Beautiful droplets and impact effect. Lovely colors and reflections. Well taken and done, AJ.
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Keith Growden
{K:29240} 6/25/2008
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WOOOW. Fantastic. I think i would like it more central as well. When ive finnished my classes with my teacher Julie, i want to come to your school and learn how to do this. Could be a while though. Love it AJ. Keith:)
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francesco barbera
{K:57} 6/25/2008
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raffinato esercizio tecnico, veramente bello.ciao
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Ania Blazejewska
{K:23981} 6/23/2008
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Excellent capture
perfectly done
beautiful colours and composition
I dream to make photos like this one!
Compliments AJ!
Ania
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AJ Miller
{K:49168} 6/20/2008
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Many thanks for your comment, Peter.
AJ
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AJ Miller
{K:49168} 6/20/2008
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Many thanks for your comment, Michele, and for your vote of confidence in the title - I wasn't sure about this one.
AJ
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Peter De Rycke
{K:41212} 6/20/2008
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Superb shot with great timing !
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Michele Carlsen
{K:146013} 6/19/2008
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Hi AJ,
I like this image and the title -
Nice light , reflections, and good for the imagination :))
Best wishes,
Michele~
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AJ Miller
{K:49168} 6/18/2008
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Thanks Avi! Yes, I have done quite a few liquid drop sessions recently and will probably post a few more. Your comment about the positioning is interesting as this was something of an experiment. My feeling is that with this one in particular, centred drops might look a little too "pure". But the original image would allow me to produce a crop with the drops centred.
AJ
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AJ Miller
{K:49168} 6/18/2008
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Many thanks, Sounak. Very little editing here - just my standard workflow:
* open in Rawshooter
* adjust exposure if necessary (not done on this image)
* convert to .jpg.
* open in Paintshop Pro 9
* straighten and crop
* clone out any extraneous splashes and drops if necessary (not done on this image)
* increase colour saturation
* resize for UF
* reduce noise if necessary (not done on this image)
* apply unsharp mask
* add borders and frames.
AJ
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AJ Miller
{K:49168} 6/18/2008
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Many thanks Julie. This was actually taken during the same session as the previous one, and I experimented with various liquids and colours. I think at this point I'd just added a little washing up liquid to the water to increase the viscosity.
AJ
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AJ Miller
{K:49168} 6/18/2008
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Thanks John. The placement in the frame is just an experimental crop - glad you like it!
AJ
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Avi
{K:70138} 6/18/2008
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I can see that your love-affair with liquid drops continues.. lol.. just a small observation: these shots look best when centralised, IMHO.
best,
Avi
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Sounak Mukhopadhyay
{K:2854} 6/18/2008
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brilliant composition, would love to know the editing procedure.
But the patches on the colour are shocking!
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Julie Salles
{K:22654} 6/18/2008
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...and they are getting better and better :)
Excellent Aj. Amazing colors, shapes, reflections...don't think it can get any better.
Congrats!
Julie.
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John Hatz
{K:156973} 6/18/2008
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only one word can be real for that photo... amazing...
and the colours... red drop in green texture, plus the reflection, plus the very good placement into the frame... what else can I ask? lol... perchaps a statue drop of the face of Beethoven hahahahaha.... just kidding, I really don't think I can ask anything more, a great job AJ, congratulations!
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