Macro Question for the Lord of Macros....

KvPhoto

Macro shots involving raindrops with a sharp image within the drop, is there a secret to it? I heard Tony Sweet refer to them as wet belly shots and can see why but what else should one know to acheive them?
Thanks!

Lord Vetinari

KvPhoto wrote:

Macro shots involving raindrops with a sharp image within the drop, is there a secret to it? I heard Tony Sweet refer to them as wet belly shots and can see why but what else should one know to acheive them?
Thanks!

To get a sharp image in a water drop, the water drop has to act as a non distorting lens. The only water drops that will do this are perfectly spherical ones and the only water drops that are perfectly spherical are either pretty small (less than 2.0mm in diameter) or are in a gravity neutral situation. The classical pear shaped raindrop does refract an image but tends to be fairly distorted.
So without going into outer space you either need droplets that have been ejected from a body of water and are at the top of their travel (ie splash drops) or more practically little ones.
The only trick then is that often the refracted image is not in the same focal plane as the droplet itself so if you want both in good focus you need to take two picures and combine them. You can sometimes get both in focus in one shot if the refracted subject is the right distance behind the drop.
Anyway I did a tutorial on dewdrop flower refraction here.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/macroviewers/discuss/72157594313729574/

Brian V.

wxwax

Brian sharing his secrets.