Photographing Waterdrops: Exploring Macro Worlds with Harold Davis

Pay with

About Photographing Waterdrops: Exploring Macro Worlds

Product Description Capturing the fleeting, dynamic world contained within the tiniest of water droplets is one of the most challenging photographic endeavors. Like many things, the challenge is worth the effort - when done with skill, these images can become some of the most unique shots you've ever taken. In this gorgeous guide packed with creative insipration alongside technical expertise, award-winning photographer Harold Davis shows you how he creates his stunning water drop images. From challenges to working with constantly  moving subjects and reflected light to basic info on which equipment works best, this book will help all macro-loving photographers turn their lens on water, water, everywhere.   *Includes valuable creative and technical information for perfecting your water shots, from equpiment basics to general inspiration and everything in between *Shooting images of water presents unique difficulties; learn how to dive in head-first and overcome the challenges of working in the natural world   *Packed with award-winning imagery from one of the world's best macro photographers   Amazon.com Review Waterdrop Photos and Their Stories, by At Home in the Universe To create this partially abstract image, I used a 50mm macro lens to shoot 21 exposures of a wet spider web in the early morning sun. Most of the shots were underexposed to bring out the color saturation in the individual waterdrops, and to let the background go dark.Using layer stacking in Photoshop, I combined these 21 exposures into the composite image you see here. Some of the waterdrops in this image are quite clearly and literally waterdrops—for example, the droplet shown with a sunburst on the lower right. However, it is not hard to imagine that one is looking at something completely different, maybe outer space or DNA strands. Moisture on a spider web is an endlessly fascinating subject for photography, and interesting images can vary from the abstract to extremely literal, with a great deal of visual and compositional interest no matter which way you decide to go! Piggyback Waterdrop Out to photograph after a sudden spring shower, I was struck by the way this waterdrop “piggybacked” on the leaf, presenting a complex but simple structure with outer framing, and also the framing of the leaf within the leaf. The very defined lines of the leaves contrasted nicely with the somewhat refracted and slightly curved lines shown through the largest waterdrop. I shot this interesting composition with a 200mm telephoto macro lens, so I could get some distance from the subject while still making a close-up photo. That way, my reflection didn’t appear in the image. Proteus Waterdrops From a normal point of view, a wet flower in the rain looks sensuous, and smooth. With this extreme macro shot of a proteus “Scarlet ribbons”—the kind of flower you might often see at a high-end florist—you can clearly see little spikey hairs along with the red “ribbons” that give the flower its name. Close-up, the reality is different and a little more intricate than waterdrops seen from a distance. This is one of the reasons I enjoy photographing waterdrops on flowers. To make this extreme macro shot, I used a 105mm telephoto macro lens with a 36mm extension tube, both mounted on my tripod. With my gear in place, I waited for a break in the wind so I could make a fairly long exposure (1.3 seconds) without the waterdrops or the flower moving in the breeze. A Letter to Amazon.com Readers from Dear Amazon.com Reader: I want to tell you about my book, Photographing Waterdrops: Exploring Macro Worlds with Harold Davis. If you are thinking about ordering purchasing this book, it might help you to know how I came to create it, and what you’ll find in it. The first thing that you should know is that Photographing Waterdrops is a true labor of love. For me, there is nothing in the world like a rainstorm. Water is nature’s way of refreshing an