Retired educator - taught mathematics in high school, went back to graduate school, worked in research labs, and finally went back and taught computer science...
I love that you are playing with color, and I love that moving water creates such soothing feelings and neat patterns no matter what form. :)
I'm no expert, but the success that I've had I'll share. For blobs and drops, deeper water is used. For crowns shallower water is used, I've even started with a dry mirror and the small puddle from several drips will give me a crown. f8 is a great start for the DOF and focus when the drop/crown comes up. 1/250 is a good speed for freezing the motion which I have done two ways: 1) with a fast shutter speed. 2) with an off camera flash (the speed of light, is fast enough to freeze time in a photo) :)
First way: Camera on a tripod, then use a fork or something similar to focus on, about as high as you thing your splash will go, then put the camera on manual focus so that doesn't change every time you push the shutter release and remove fork. :) On camera flash is used in which case my camera will only sync at 1/200 shutter speed. The flash gives me more definition and sparlkies off the edge of any drops/crowns. I bounce my flash off a small pocket mirror to avoid harsh flash lighting. Start the drip right on the point I focused with the fork and shoot away. Sometimes many many shots before I get something I like. :)
Keep at it, it can be fun and rewarding when it finally captures something you want. And I can describe the second way if you want to try an off camera flash.
@stude73 Thank you Sandra, it is different from my normal shots @kerristephens Thank you Kerri, so do I :) @geocacheking Thank you for the suggestions I will incorporate them next time I try it
@swguevin Thank you Shelia, this is the way we can all learn to be better @maggiemae Maggie, you should try this. @sangwann Thank you Dione, that is why I put that one first even though there is sort of a crown here
I'm no expert, but the success that I've had I'll share. For blobs and drops, deeper water is used. For crowns shallower water is used, I've even started with a dry mirror and the small puddle from several drips will give me a crown. f8 is a great start for the DOF and focus when the drop/crown comes up. 1/250 is a good speed for freezing the motion which I have done two ways: 1) with a fast shutter speed. 2) with an off camera flash (the speed of light, is fast enough to freeze time in a photo) :)
First way: Camera on a tripod, then use a fork or something similar to focus on, about as high as you thing your splash will go, then put the camera on manual focus so that doesn't change every time you push the shutter release and remove fork. :) On camera flash is used in which case my camera will only sync at 1/200 shutter speed. The flash gives me more definition and sparlkies off the edge of any drops/crowns. I bounce my flash off a small pocket mirror to avoid harsh flash lighting. Start the drip right on the point I focused with the fork and shoot away. Sometimes many many shots before I get something I like. :)
Keep at it, it can be fun and rewarding when it finally captures something you want. And I can describe the second way if you want to try an off camera flash.
@kerristephens Thank you Kerri, so do I :)
@geocacheking Thank you for the suggestions I will incorporate them next time I try it
@maggiemae Maggie, you should try this.
@sangwann Thank you Dione, that is why I put that one first even though there is sort of a crown here