MY Milk Drops

[Patrick Long]

I have been fascinated with everyones drop macro techniques on this site, and over the web. I finally decided it was time to get wet and try it myself.

After a LOT of reading, and even more picture browsing, I gave it a shot.


Iso - 100
Shutter - 1/200
Aperture - f5.6


The How-To -

I had read that milk is lower than water, so I wanted to play that to my advantage.

I filled a simple condiment dish to the brim with HALF milk, HALF water...and added some blue food coloring.

In a separate cup I poured JUST milk...to me this was the key. Added pink food coloring to the plain milk.

I positioned the lens to look directly across the water, focusing around the middle of the dish.

Flash was positioned 90 degrees to one side...either works, preference at that point.

Now seeing as the milk is heavier than the water/milk that it is being dropped into...the drop is actually forced to slow down on its travel back UP towards the sky. While the blue mixture speeds ahead creating the 'mix' in the head of the drop.

You can even see some of the milk "bleed' out into the mixture at the bottom of the spout.


This has been my very first "How I Took It' post, I hope it was very helpful to you all.

Pat

[klr]

I can't wait to have enough patience one of these days to try something like this. Looks awesome!

[Bianka]

Very cool looking shot!

Never would have tried milk...

[Glayva]

Patrick
I congratulate you on a superb shot. Absolutely lovely. I like it's simplicity and the lighting, colors and composition are just perfect. This is one of the best "drop" shots I've seen for a long time. Thanks too for the excellent "how to do it" I look forward to seeing more of your excellent work.

[windrider86]

Very cool. I've played with milk before but never thought of using food coloring with it. OOOHHH the ideas are flowing now, thank you!!

[statichash]

Very creative idea. Very simple and it captured beautifully. Great instructions on how you took it. I want to experiment ... just need more time.

Cheers!

[China Rose]

i am not sure how to get the shutter release in the right place. i always click to late

[pjflan7]

Wonderful illumination in this shot....

[Lorax]

Love it! Off to the store to get some milk....

[asharat10]

Itis fantastic shot