Hint for great water droplets!

[Jim Bryant]

Last July I was looking for features around Seattle for something that said "4th of July". Most of everything was sort of blah! When I arrived to my Port Orchard home, my wife, had hung a huge holiday size flag in front of our garage. Lucky for me it was starting to rain and my windshield had waterdrops on it reflecting the flag. Still, my car was parked behind hers and was too far from the flag. (Instead of parking in her side of the driveway, she takes the middle, thus forcing me to park behind her. Must be a woman thing)
So, by the time I grabbed the macro from the house and jumped in her car, which was directly in front of the garage, the sun came out and the windshield began to dry. Again I ran into the house, grabbed a water sprayer bottle, poured cooking oil in with the the water, and headed outside where I sprayed the mixture onto her windshield. Damn, didn't it make great droplets that reflected the flag. Got a great shot, but had to hear about it for two weeks, because every time she used the wipers, it smeared her windshield. So if you want great water droplets for food shots, mix a little cooking oil with the water and spray away You can also spray this on your models to show sweat.

[daft_biker]

I hear morning dew gives the best clarity in water drop refractions....might have to try a Scotland flag in one now I also hear glycerol or something can be added to water to stop it evaporating quickly and is often used in the studio to get water drops on the side of a drinking glass or something. I'll need to add cooking oil to my list of things to try....cheers

This is a water refraction rather than a water reflection but since Wiki can probably explain it better than I.....

Refraction

Reflection

If you like water refraction shots you may enjoy seeing Brian Valentine's work: Lordv on Flickr.

Cheers,
Andy

[Jim Bryant]

Yes, glycerol, works better, but when there's none around, cooking oil works in a pinch. Man, last time I used glycerol was when attending Syracuse in 78. Man.......how time flies

[shocko990]

hi, nice shot .so many stars and stripes

[daft_biker]

78? I was just a twinkle in my mother's eye then! Good to hear the glycerol thing works well too...I've only dabbled in water drop shots...am not a full time addict I wasn't even sure I got the right glyer-something!

[jgomez65]

That is a great shot!!! Very original