Life Of A Water Drop

Doesn’t last long…

Photography is full of challenges. Those challenges require patience, persistence, and sometimes just being in the right place at the right time.

There are instances where you just have to sit and wait, hoping to catch the moment you anticipate. Others require razor-sharp reflexes to catch an instance of action, as in sports. (Another story for another time.)

So…how do you catch a water drop?

Ever try just randomly hitting the shutter? Hopeful you catch one. Good luck.

During my investigation on how to engage this technique, I encountered all kinds of contraptions. Some were periodically effective, but the one device that caught my attention that allows the photographer to focus on being creative rather than trying to hit it lucky is shown below.

These devices, combined with your camera gear, unleash unlimited options for water drop capture. The Pluto Trigger does much more than water drop capture, but I'm not sure you’ll find a much better tool for the project.

As you can see above, drop size and interval are controlled by the app on your iPhone.

The water drop release, flash, and camera shutter are all coordinated through the Pluto Trigger.

While there are numerous variations for camera gear and setups, this is what I used for the test run that captured the photos below.

We’ve all seen many of those dramatic “fluid splash” images. This is where it starts. Pretty basic at this point, but this new tool will be getting a serious workout in the near future!

Previously published on Full Frame: