How to Make Your DIY Water Droplet Studio

A Guest Post by Brian Pearson.

This tutorial will focus on how to create a homemade Water Droplet Studio to get those great macro shots of a water drop splashing against still water, creating an explosion of colors.

Materials Needed:

A cup of Water (your choice of color)
A Ziploc-like plastic bag filled with water
A roll of tape
An external flash
A Pencil
A razor (or any sharp pointed object)
Multiple sheets of paper (your choice of color)
A towel (for cleaning up)
And of course a Smile!!!!

Step 1: Location

Find a place that has san overhang such as a desk with a cabinet pulled out or really anywhere that you can hang a small plastic bag filled with water.

Step 2: Colors Colors Colors

Fill a cup with water. It can be any color any shape. In my case I used a Blue cup with a wave-like design to it . place 2 sheets of paper( again your choice of color) directly under your overhang area.

Step 3: Tape Fixes Everything

Place a sheet of paper vertical behind the cup of water. You can do this by taping it against another vertical surface or leaning it against something.

Step 4: Hang a Water-Bag?

Fill a third of a small plastic Ziploc-like bag with water. Hang the plastic bag above the paper on your overhang using the tape.

Step 5: Just Focus

Adjust the cup and plastic bag so that they will align neatly. Using a razor or a sharp pointed object poke a small hole in the plastic bag so that it drips neatly into the cup. Take a pencil or pen and place it in the location in the cup where the water droplets are splashing then use your camera to auto-focus onto it. From there on you can keep the camera in manual focus.

Step 6: Creativity is Key

Set up your external flash on its lowest setting and point it at the cup. Place your camera on Time Value mode or TV at 1/250. Throughout this photo shoot your lens may get wet, so it’s always smart to keep a cloth or towel nearby. Take lots and lots of pictures. Mess around with shots, BE CREATIVE!