How I Shot This - "In the Drink"

Today's post is a "how I shot this" post.

You've likely seen shots very similar to this one from many other photographers. Originality was lacking to some extent on my part. The main purpose of this shoot was to practice different lighting techniques and see what type of results I could draw without the help of others. Instead of searching online for how to shoot this type of image, I looked on Flickr for other examples of this type of shot. From there I looked at where the light was coming from and decided to start a process of trial and error.

What you'll need:

• Camera
• Tripod
• 2 Strobe Flashes
• Flash trigger system (pocket wizards, synch cables, etc)
• Clear Glass Tank
• Black Non Reflective Backdrop (or other colors depending on desired artistic effect)
• Water (Seltzer water for extra bubbles)
• Object to drop in water
• Focusing Object (something to set your initial focus with)
• Remote Shutter (optional)
• Aluminum Foil (optional)
• Lightstands (optional)
• Towels (optional)

The setup:

1. Start by setting up your clear glass tank (fishtank, cookie jar, etc that is free of scratches, scuffs, or fingerprints) on a table or other flat surface. I used a chair to set the tank on allowing me to put a black shirt over the back part of the chair. If you use a reflective surface for the black backdrop you will get flash hotspots.
2. Next fill the tank with water. If you want alot of bubbles, you can use Seltzer water (carbonated water). I used a mixture of both.
3. Next set up a flash on either side of the tank pointing directly at the sides of the tank. I chose to put the flashes flush against the tank. After much trial and error, I realized that if the flashes were to far away, they illuminated the front and rear plane of glass giving me more of a flat or hazy look. If you have lightstands, you can use them to support the flashes. I found that a stack of books I had closely available worked just fine. The room I was working in limited my floor space preventing me from adding lightstands due to the wider base.
4. Hook up your triggering system. I have the AlienBees CyberSync remote triggers and receivers. You can also use flash sync cables as a cheaper option.
5. Set the flash power to a lower power setting. My flashes lowest setting was 1/16th power.
6. Setup your camera on a tripod pointing at the jar
7. Insert an object into the jar, approximately in the center. The idea is to use an object that when sitting in the jar, will give your camera something to focus on . It needs to stay stationary as you move to your camera to compose the shot. I used the handle of a flyswatter to stick in the center of the tank.
8. Compose your shot and set the camera to autofocus
9. Focus the camera on the object in the center of the tank using the autofocus. Once focused, switch the camera to manual focus. (If your camera continuously tries to focus on the glass or the bubbles formed on the glass, focus in manual from the get-go to get the object in focus. Leave the focus on manual.
10. Set the F/stop to a small aperture to get the largest depth of field. I chose F/16.
11. Set the shutter speed to the maximum flash synch speed according to your camera user manual. For the Canon EOS 50D, this would be 1/250th of a second. This will prevent ambient lighting from adding unplanned light to your shot.
12. Remove the object from the tank
13. Set your cameras timer to somewhere between 2 and 10 seconds.
14. Use either a remote shutter release cable or just push the shutter button (if you can reach it) to start the timer countdown. Many cameras beep, so you can tell approximately when the shutter will fire.
15. A split second before the camera fires, drop the object from 3-5 inches above the water level. The further the drop, the bigger the splash.
16. Review the shot.
17. If you manage to get the ball anywhere in the frame, adjust the f/stop or change the flash power settings to get the proper exposure.
18. Repeat until you get the timing on spot

Things to consider:

• smaller apertures will give you the greatest depth of field. I knew from the start I would need to use at least F/14.
• If you have flashes that are capable of firing rapidly in succession, instead of using the timer, you can use the remote shutter to rapidly fire shots from the camera as the object drops. This will wield a lot less trial and error drops, and a lot more good captures. My flashes are older (and cheaper) which prevents me from firing flashes in rapid succession.
• Change the background to a color to add more vibrance to the shot. Remember, reflective surfaces will cause flash hotspots in unintended areas
• Keep plenty of towels on hand. As you fish your object repeatedly from the tank, you'll likely drip water all over yourself and the floor.
• Wipe the glass free of droplets above the waterline to keep it clear and free of unneeded water spots
• Add aluminum foil to the bottom of the tank to reflect some light up from the bottom helping fill the shadows.
• If you change the background color, it won't absorb as much light as a black surface, therefore reflecting some light back to the object.