Make a Splash!

To capture the amazing detail and shape of a water droplet all you need is an off-camera flash, and plenty of patience...

Although it’s unlikely that Henri Cartier-Bresson had water drops in mind when he talked about the ‘decisive moment’, his words ring true when you’re trying to capture the split second moment a water drop hits the surface below it.

There are several high-tech and costly techniques you can use to get consistent and repeatable water-drop shots, such as using electronically activated valves to produce accurately timed drops, and movement triggers that will fire your flash, but it’s surprising what you can achieve using much simpler techniques and kit that costs just a few pounds.

First, think about how to create the drops themselves. there are a number of ways to do this, including creating a tiny hole in a suspended plastic bag or using an eyedropper. the most important thing is to ensure that the drops fall in the same place each time, and that the frequency is reasonably predictable. We used a syringe and a small piece of tubing attached to a stand.