It happens at just the right moment….click….flash….and you have captured the image, freezing time as if it were. And with this image of the water drop, timing really was everything. A moment too soon or a moment to late and the all you get is a ripple in the water. But when everything works like it should, you get the beauty of the drop and it ability to somehow defy gravity. This image might also provoke several questions..like, “How did you do it?” or, “why do water drops look like that?” or “it might look pretty, but what does this have to do with my business?”. So a few answers.
We started with a large tray that we lined with a black plastic and filled it with a inch or so of water. The trick here was to get the plastic lay as flat as possible so as not to create any unwanted reflections within the water itself. The blue in the water is a reflection off of a gray background with a blue light being reflected off of it. There is also one over head light in a softbox that is helping illuminate the drop as well. And all that is missing is the camera. We tried at first to use a motion detector to trigger the light but it was too much hassle. So in the end we just decided to use our eyes and anticipate the drop – which as you can see worked just fine for this image. The image was shot on a hassleblad with a 80mm lens and a Phase One P30 digital back.

Now why do water drops and the splashes look like this? Well, after the water drop impacts to form a crater, the surface of the pool collapses with inward-rushing water colliding and rising to form a column. Along the column, water surface tension effects create secondary drops. Circular waves ripple out from the centre of impact. That or it is just plain magic pure and simple.

And Business wise? Well we like to think we can provide the same type of service for our clients. The right timing, the right equipment, and an eye for detail and watching for just the right moment to capture the perfect image. If you would like to make a big “splash” with your next project, give us a call and let us provide the creative edge that can help you be a big success.