Water drop with kit lens...how to get closer?

[MKlem]

I like taking pictures of water drops, but I don't have a macro lens, right now just the kit lens that came with my D90. This picture (along with the others on my flickr set) were heavily cropped, is there any way to get a closer shot with sharp focus without a macro lens? Also, feel free to comment on exposure/composition. Thanks for looking!



Camera: Nikon D90
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture: f/14.0
Focal Length: 105 mm
Focal Length: 106.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: On, Return detected

[ricklumpas]

Just a comment on the composition. I think the subject should be at the center. Rule of thirds? i think this should be an exception.

[pjflan7]

don' believe you can get close unless you get a reversing ring, or extension tubes without getting a macro lens but you have maxxed out the capabilities of your lens...I have been there and feel your pain....I finally got a macro lens...just had to have it....but a word of warning though....your depth of field will narrow and the back side of the crown and possible the sides will be out of focus, so for these type of shots, it may not be to your advantage?

[mitchgreene]

I like the crop. Don't think it's at all necessary to center here. I think the exposure at the horizon line is just a little too high and you've lost a couple of the drops.

[equilution]

I personally don't think you need to get much closer than you already are. Otherwise, you lose the effect achieved by the totality of the shot. Here's an example of one I did yesterday. IMHO, if you zero in on one feature of the drop, you can get spectacular results regardless of your depth of field.


My suggestion on the shot you posted is to get a little lower angle on it, and center it. The rule of thirds, I don't feel, is applicable here, because there are no other elements in the shot you're trying to balance.

[LeeR]

It is unfortunate that we call it "The Rule Of Thirds" like Moses brought it down with him from Mount Sanai. It would be far better to call it "The Suggestion of Thirds" because there are times when it is absolutely the wrong thing to do. Many times placing a round item in the center can work quite well. What is important in a shot like this is making use of the lines the ripples make. You will not be able to see these as you are shooting so a little triall and error is called for. What is more troubling is the way the top half of the image appears to be missing. I suspect that some minor changes in the angle of the camera and flash as well as the background used could make a huge difference.

[equilution]

One post script. It looks like in your setup, the water is deep. It should be shallow, around 1/4" or so. It may be hard to tell, but in the shot I posted above, I simply used a pool of standing water that collected on a counter-top, rather than using a bowl. If the water is deep, physics takes over, and the impact of the drop is absorbed by the surrounding water, lessening the effect.