Nine Drops - a photo on Flickriver

Nine Drops

This was an experiment in simplicity. No focus stacking, no editing beyond basic adjustments and cropping, all the work done in studio to create a fun water droplet refraction image. The hardest part about this is being a good “droplet architect”!

I shot this image with the Lumix G9 which is a 20MP micro four thirds camera but with a high-resolution mode that can generate 80MP images. It was my first encounter with this feature, and I use it regularly on my Lumix S14 and A1 camera bodies. I had never previously published this image online, though it did end up in my new book (which you can grab a copy of here: skycrystals.ca/product/pre-order-macro-photography-the-un... ) adjacent to the foreword.

That high-resolution mode makes “macro” work easier… or at least, the perception of macro work! The term is directly related to how large something is in reality vs. how large it appears on the sensor. A 1:1 relationship (life-size) is the classical definition of macro work… but today we use the term for anything notably magnified – and cropping can get us there as well. When cropping in excessively, you’ll also need a lens capable of resolving the best details while simultaneously avoiding issues from diffraction. I found that the Leica 45mm F/2.8mm macro at F/11 (or wider) holds up nicely when the high resolution mode is activated and cropping is utilized to push deeper into the macro realm while still maintaining excellent depth of field.

The flower petals are held in place just outside of the frame with “third hand tools”, little alligator clamps on a swivel base that can easily position subjects for table-top macro work. The droplets themselves were placed with a hypodermic needle, and the water is just that: plain old tap water.

The goal was to try and place the petals all at different angles; the bottom petal is facing more forward to come out of focus, but the droplets were placed in line with the others to try and get a bit of depth in the frame while maintaining the best level of focus. One must work quickly, however! The petals will droop and change positions fairly quickly, likely shifting the droplets to a slightly different focal plane. The camera is set up beforehand with a remote trigger so as soon as everything is in place, I can fire off the shot.

Illuminated with an LED flashlight pointed at the flower in the background, the background becomes brighter than the petals, and thereby the droplets become brighter than the surface they are attached to. This helps them stand out more brightly and vibrantly in the image. A full list of considerations, techniques and equipment is presented in my new book, linked above. This is such a fun subject to explore at home, on your kitchen table!

Taken on: November 17, 2018

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Camera: Panasonic DC-G9, f/11.0, 1/10 sec, 45mm (=90mm), ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Panasonic DC-G9
Lens:	LEICA DG MACRO-ELMARIT 45/F2.8
Aperture:	f/11.0
Exposure Time:	0.1 sec (1/10)
Focal Length:	45mm (35mm equivalent: 90mm)
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Gain Control:	Low gain up
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop 21.0 (Windows)
Show full info

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