We recently added a new water set when we opened our second studio last month.

I haven't really had any time since to play and experiment with it and on the one occasion I have I too managed to achieve the same undesired effect that I have heard mentioned before.

I will refer to this image here:



Now... I quite like it for the most part, its almost what I wanted to achieve... however... there is a flaw with it...

If you look closely you will see that the larger water drops look as if they are falling upwards!

This is because of the fall off of the flash when the shutter is still open. (i believe)

While testing this, the sync was played with so basically the flash is firing at the end of the time the shutter is open... but the same thing happened.

Does anyone have any tried and tested method for avoiding this rather gravity defying occurance? (other than not using flash!)






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I'm just taking a total guess here, I would say you had the light high up so the light would show from the top of the droplets. so have you tried with the light/flash lower down if you could do it?

Like I said it just a guess.

Hope you find the answer soon.

.......JJ Rankin's Quote “There’s no point in dressing it up, I love women and I love taking photos. It’s more like a fantastic hobby than a job.”

yeah... its not to do with the positioning of the light... same happens when lights are all at ground level....



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Have you tried a shorter flash duration .... ?

Kiwipics , Photographer  posted on 18/03/2010 13:01:48   Posted 7 times

Located:Burton Latimer,Northamptonshire, UK
Member Since: 03/02/2009

Hiya Arron

Have you tired using the second curtain to trigger the flash. I have heard that this will correct the upward image of the water droplets, but have never tired it myself.

By the way I love your water feature and hopr to try it soon.

Andy........................aka Jake41

Hey Andy!

A far smarter man with a camera than me tried it and said no joy! Kinda why we are both stumped now...

Will just have to keep finding models who are willing to subject themselves to SPS water torture!

(if any are reading get in touch! :P)


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could you manage to obtain a higher shutter speed so the droplets are neither falling downwards or upwards,but are completely frozen? Or are you at the limit due to flash sync?

Pete.

I think he would need to sync at close to 1/1000th of a second (average guessed flash duration at full power) I think flash duration is shorter or possibly longer at lower powers though so that could be worth a try open up bump iso and see what happens.tricky one aint it. I'd have to put my hands up and say no idea really so rather a useless post :D

Quoting post from petesky
could you manage to obtain a higher shutter speed so the droplets are neither falling downwards or upwards,but are completely frozen? Or are you at the limit due to flash sync?

Pete.

its limited due to the flash sync...

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stand the model on her head then flip the pic ...

Pete.

I wasn't sure what second curtain was in this context but.
How about removing all ambient light and setting the flash to rear curtain synch.  Also ensure that the flash is not bounced around by any surfaces so direct it using grids.  This will limit the actual "exposure" to the flash duration.  Which may be the real limiting factor in your ability to turn the water droplets up the right way.
Finally, you could shoot this in the southern hemisphere as water goes down the plug in the opposite direction and so may travel upwards too?

yeah... I think I am gonna go for some pva on the feet of the model and suspend them from the ceiling...




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"A far smarter man with a camera than me tried it and said no joy! Kinda why we are both stumped now."

At last the respect to which I am due

This has baffled me for ages, it only occurs or is apparent on large drops of water, the camera is on rear curtain sync, there is no ambient light, and certainly no where near enough to register.

I don't want to freeze the water completely a round water drop would look odd, I just want it the right way round with a streak!
it's obviously the tail off of light from the flash as it stops, maybe our lights just aren't fast enough, they are Elinchrom 600 and 400's.
Tony

Turn the modelling lights off. Use SB800s or SB900s on 128th power they freeze water droplets.

Or go spend huge amounts on very short duration studio lights.

Kev

Or give it a go with a Nikon D70, it will sync at stupid speeds up to around 1/4000 (some even say 1/8000) due to what  I believe is an electronic shutter.

Quoting post from ChrisRiccio
Or give it a go with a Nikon D70, it will sync at stupid speeds up to around 1/4000 (some even say 1/8000) due to what  I believe is an electronic shutter.

I need to get a couple of things straight here, Nikon and SB anythings are dirty words here I'm a died in the wool Canon man. Surely a flash on 128th power isn't going to be powerful enough to light a full length female figure an a reasonable sized lens?

Also we're not trying to freeze the drops completely, personally I think that looks far more unrealistic than one with 'streaks', I'd rather have upside down drops than round globules.

If either of us don't reply for a bit no ones being rude I'm out to the studio for the day and Aarons already there, if I can persuade her I may have another try.
Tony

I would agree 128 power is not going work and to retain the elongated water droplets neither is a faster sync speed so your only option would be some laborious PP I guess. Really annoying though Tony and a very strange side affect.

i think the water effect in pictures is fantastic even though i've not had a chance to work with a photographer and water its always been a passion of mine

the water against the models skin looks sexy and makes the picture more sexy but not in a pornographic way

xx

Faster shutter speeds will not help.
What you can do on some cameras is to change the curtain so it can either close at the end or begining of the flash duration.

Experience in this was on a 10x8 car shot where we ended up having to had to do a double exposure. 2nd exposure the film was turned around.

Quoting post from chris
Faster shutter speeds will not help.
What you can do on some cameras is to change the curtain so it can either close at the end or begining of the flash duration.

Experience in this was on a 10x8 car shot where we ended up having to had to do a double exposure. 2nd exposure the film was turned around.

yeah... thats what Nutters and I are going to try (again) at the weekend.




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