poprock48

Excellent series

Moondoggie Loc: Southern California

I love this creativity! I looked at your last photos a week ago . Really nice work. Thanks for sharing.

Pixljockey Loc: Southeast Pa.

Great shots Dave, do you use the Miops water drop kit? When I found out that the drops had to be timed a certain way and then the flash triggered, I decided I would just take my chances with short duration flash and burst mode. Maybe one day I'll get lucky with a midair colllision! I still jump at the chance to see shots as good as these though, thanks for sharing.

randave2001 Loc: Richmond

I think you should give it a go. This is my first winter at it so I have a long way to go yet. I have had some really excellent help from one of our fellow UHH'ers as well as reading books and watching videos. The big thing is just keep trying and you will have a few you want to share soon as well. Macro is not really that difficult as long as you work on tripod and remember your DOF is much shallower at those close ranges. I am using a 180mm macro lens for my setup.

randave2001 Loc: Richmond

It does take a bit of math skills to set up the timing to capture what probably lasts for only a millisecond or two. However, like most everything else worth striving for, it takes patience and practice, practice, practice. I am just at the beginning of my journey and have soooooooo much more I want to accomplish with this type of photography.

randave2001 Loc: Richmond

Thank you roxiemarty for the kind comments. I am having fun trying out different ones as well. My wife's wardrobe really comes in handy!

randave2001 Loc: Richmond

Thank you very much. I shoot with a 180mm macro lens and shoot everything in bulb mode in a semi or fully darkened room. I am using two flashes that are triggered by a Cognisys StopShot controller. Not to get into too much of the technical details of the setup, but there is a water valve that is controlled by the controller. Once the valve is opened, the drop fall through an IR sensor and that is when the timing begins. The controller is set up to release the trigger to the flashes the moment the two drops (in these images) collide. For these images I am just using plain water in both the Mariotte siphon (valve assy) and the pan of water the drops fall into. There are so many different additives you can use to control the quality of the medium you are using. All color in these images are created by the reflection of my backdrops but lots of people use food coloring to get some really fantastic results. Right now I am concentrating on getting the timing down and just playing with different backgrounds. In time I will go to the more advanced methods of capturing these collisions. It is very addictive and really helps cut down the boredom on a cold winters day. Hope you give it a try and thank you for your interest.

randave2001 Loc: Richmond

Hey Doc, you are too kind. Thanks for stopping by and leaving such kind comments. Always welcome.

randave2001 Loc: Richmond

Thank you very much.

randave2001 Loc: Richmond

Thank you Moondoggie. It is a lot of fun to do.

randave2001 Loc: Richmond

Take a look at one of my earlier responses where I explain my setup somewhat. There I mention I use the Cognisys StopShot setup. I really like the quality of their gear although it is a bit pricey (no, I haven't any affiliation with Cognisys). There are many, many different approaches to doing this kind of photography and many people have great success with less complex setups than the one I am using. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments. Always appreciated.

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Amazing set Dave.

larryzplace Loc: Elk Grove Village Illinois

Nice... Lots of fun to mess with...

Dixiegirl Loc: Alabama gulf coast

These look like fun, Dave, and they're certainly beautiful to view!

John from gpwmi Loc: Michigan

Very nice. Always look forward to these.