Raindrop Explosion
Feb, 2015Views
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People's Choice in Water and Fast Shutter Photo Challenge
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Outstanding Creativity
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken from inside my house and shooting through a glass door on a rainy day. The patio table is a few yards away and being so overcast I really didn't expect to get anything but had to try anyways especially since I'd never tried before.Time
This was taken around 3:30 in the afternooon. It was a quick storm that passed through so I didn't have a lot of time to try to get the shot but I focused on one spot and watched for drops to come down in that location. (The rain drops were wide spread but big!)Lighting
Being a rainy over cast day in February the lighting wasn't great. Since I was shooting through a glass door using a flash wasn't an option either so it had to be all natural light! Combine all that with needing to shoot fast I had a fine line with all the settings to actually succeed in getting this.Equipment
For this photo I used my trusty Canon 5D Mark II and a 70-200 f/2.8 USM lens all on a tripod so I could focus on the timing only. The focus was set and the tripod kept it constant so all I had to do was watch the rain and try to time the shutter right.Inspiration
I've always been fascinated by slow-motion of things like this and always admired the photos I've seen catching water drops like this. I was determined to try it some day but I wanted it to be actual rain and not a set up with water in a glass or something. Timing was right on this day and I managed to get everything together and give it a try before the rain stopped. I only had about 30 minutes but I got it done! :)Editing
While I try not to do a lot of post processing I did have to make a few adjustments for a little noise reduction and to brighten it a little bit by increasing the white a touch. The settings for this were 200mm at 1/2000 sec @ f/5.0 but an ISO of 800 to get the speed.In my camera bag
My main camera is the Canon 5d MarkII. I absolutely love this camera and the kit lens that came with it (the 24-105 f/4L) is always with it. A 2nd or 3rd lens will generally depend on what I'm wanting to photograph (many times the 180 macro or 70-200 will be included). A speedlite is generally available though not used for the majority of my photos. To be honest, as long as I have the 5D and the 24-105 then I'm good to go for randomness! For every day commute and such I carry a 2nd bag that has a Rebel t5i and it's kit lens 18-55 STM and a 70-300 USM. Make s a great runabout bag without the worry of making sure the 5D is safe. Now I'm ready for anything whether it's a planned photo outing with the 5D or some random thing on my way to and from work.Feedback
My advice to others is to not be afraid to try/experiment with your equipment! Don't be afraid of failure or let it hold you back. Sometimes that shot you think isn't worth it or shouldn't work will be a great shot. Sure, you'll sort through a ton that didn't work but then you'll get that one and it'll make it all worth it. I seriously didn't expect to capture a drop explosion like this on my first try and with such a quick storm but figured it was worth a try and that the worst thing that would happen would be I'd have to try again on the next rain storm. I was very excited when I saw I actually succeeded and it just shows that you gotta try no matter how poor you think your chances are. You gotta click to get get it!
