My attempts at droplet photography….

an unusually wet monsoon at delhi is a bane to all photographers, everyone is running scared of getting the gear wet. happened to me too; left home on saturday for a shoot at tughlakabad fort with a group of friends, but returned back after going halfway, because it was pouring and although i love getting wet in the rain, i was sure my camera would not be so accommodating.

so on sunday morning, when i was leaving for the shoot, i was praying to the rain-gods, that the skies should not open up, as i was going to meet friends rather than shoot at the jantar mantar.

the rain did oblige, and not a drop fell during the period, but the sky was overcast and light was dismal. a fellow photographer was commenting that the light was very soft and would give good pics of the monuments, to which i retorted that this light was only wonderful for outdoor fashion shoots.

it was then that i realised that sometimes opportunities present themselves, and after keenly following droplet photographs on flickr, i decided to try my hand at some droplet photography.

that was the start of this journey of discovery…….

i found an interesting hibiscus bush, with flowers and lots of droplets on the leaves, flowers and buds.

finding the bush was the easiest part. I then had to look for a droplet that was able to show me a flower within, and at an angle that i could capture easily. having a 50mm f/1.8 and a close-up kit is not the easiest equipment for such work.

after finding a beautiful bud, which at a specific angle was able to show me the flower beyond, i proceeded to start my attempts at droplet photography. only to realise that every whiff of breeze was enough to shake the bud and spoil my focus. even my own breath was interfering. ultimately, after several tries, i managed to get the following pic…

and that made me realise that the next attempt at droplet photography would be indoors and using a tripod. if it is to be attempted outdoors, then some mechanism to screen the object from the breeze is a must. and a tripod of course…..

LiveJournal Tags: droplet,photography,blog,jantar,mantar,delhi,hibiscus,flowers