Chat for weekly comp - Droplets - 28th Dec - 3rd Jan

[stevebedder]

Been trying to get something for this weeks comp but have to admit that I'm strugling to get a decent shot! Not quite sure where I'm going wrong.

Camera is on tripod with remote release, off camera flash (tried in various positions) with a baking tray of water and dripping water in by hand from a bottle\jug from between 1 to 2 feet high.

Most have been between f/10 & f/16 with a shutter speed of 1/250 but have also used 1/20 which seemed to help. Focus is set to manual and used a prop to set the focus of where the water drops would be.

I've read through plenty of blogs, tips etc but just can't seem to get anything I'm happy with.

Will see if I can get a shot before close of play tomorrow but I doubt it will compete with some of the stunning entries already posted.

Steve

Have you turned the light in the room off & the flash power down, I read that it will give a shorter flash duration, stopping motion.

Yep, have tried with light off, small light on on, big light on.

My problem is getting a crisp focus on the droplet that is made!

Steve

[jimthetrain]

If I carry on much longer the pub will be shut. Tried a piece of plastic in the bottom of the middle drainer and seemed to be more pleasing on the eye. Now decided this is my entry. Getting the drops in focus is hard work but sometimes you get lucky.

[SimonW]

I went out today to take some pics of icicles. Got lots, including some which were dripping. But I'm very sad to report not one worth submitting. The darn things are transparent! Some pix showed their shadows and that's as close as I came! But the walk wasn't wasted - the day was beautiful, the snow in the woods deep and clean and the air clear and cold.

[stevebedder]

Cracking shot Jim!! Enjoy the pub 

[jimthetrain]

Cracking shot Jim!! Enjoy the pub 

Cheers and I'll try my best to.

[oRGie]

There is indeed a watermark background, embedded at 2% opacity. Bottom line, if this is clearly visible without applying any adjustments to the image then might I be so bold as to suggest that some monitor calibration chez oRGie is pretty much essential. 

You should be able to discern all of the graduations in this greyscale with even changes between each division. Although because it's been compressed a second time the darker three (XYZ) are less distinct than in the original chart.

I think I used that chart to set mine up, I can see all the definitions perfectly, but I notice now that my monitor has moved slightly on the stand over time and was at a flatter angle to the desk, or not flat to my face, but even corrected I still see the watermark

My problem seems to be getting the focus in the correct place even though It in manual and pre-focus - AAAAaaargh  who  came up with this subject  

Haha, it really does make you appreciate the skill in some of the shots I have seen on the web 

[Hinfrance]

Puzzling about the greyscale. You really shouldn't be able to see a 2% change unless the brightness is turned up too much. The only thing that I can suggest is that the slope is wrong. I don't mean the angle on the desk. Do you have a colorimeter like a Spyder or Pantone Huey or somesuch?

And indeed, many of the shots on the web are quite astounding. One of my flickr contacts (known also to most of us here) Duckprints does excellent work with this topic : http://www.flickr.com/photos/21257890@N04/sets/72157608292249309/

[irv_b]

This was the best of my water droplets attempts - it's water with some paprika mixed into give it some texture and colour. I think I may give it another go in the future -way in the future

[oRGie]

I adjusted my brightness down a little, but can still see the watermark (not the sig, the background) in Howards shot, in fact I can now see it even in the darker green areas of the leaf too, before I spend any more time fiddling with this, can anyone else see the watermark in Howards shot ?

[jimthetrain]

I can see it in the green on normal brightness and just about see it in the black when brightness is turned up fully.

[Forseti]

Yes I can see it both in the background and on the leaf. Very faint but easily discernible the longer one looks at it. This is when the image is clicked upon to enlarge it by the way, not the small posted shot in which I see nothing. My monitor was recalibrated earlier this morning to a luminance of 120 and a gamma value of 2.2 - recommended settings using my EyeOne2 and posted many times on the Adobe forums. I can also see all the gradations in the scale that was posted.

[oRGie]

aha, ok thanks for putting my mind at rest. I dont see it in the small version also, only on the full size. It is faint, but I think because its white on a black background and the dark green of the leaf its showing.

[Hinfrance]

Sorry, I won't put a 2% mark on again. Most of my other postings have been watermarked in this way - and it is definitely more obvious in the larger size. And the © on the leaf is the most evident part.

I calibrated my monitor about a week ago.

Sorry to be brief, got guests at the mo'

Later: we've just looked at the picture on my visitor's Macbook pro and on an Acer netbook. There is only a very faint © visible on the leaf and I had to point out to them where it was before they could discern it. Even with the brightness turned right up the text on the black background was barely visible.

I did notice, however, that on my non glossy monitor that the watermark became distinctly visible if I looked at the screen off axis - particularly if viewed from higher than the horizontal.

[Oldboy]

I went out today to take some pics of icicles. Got lots, including some which were dripping. But I'm very sad to report not one worth submitting. The darn things are transparent! Some pix showed their shadows and that's as close as I came! But the walk wasn't wasted - the day was beautiful, the snow in the woods deep and clean and the air clear and cold.

With Icicles shooting at an angle usually works, or find one that forms around a blade of grass or plant stem make it easier, as you have something to focus on. 

Yes, it's great walking through the deep crisp snow with winter sunshine, but had to wait until gone noon before the sun appeared. 

[wendoureecat]

Unfortunately will have to give this one a miss...........everything I freeze melts within about 2 minutes after taking it out of the freezer  talk about extreme weather conditions.