Shoot water bubbles

I know the first thing some people will ask: 'why?' Well, to be fair, that is a perfectly sound question and yes, why bother standing in a stream and shoot water bubbles. To me, it is because you can and with digital there is no cost. It is also a nice break from the usual blurred water shots that many of us love. So, while you are out there doing waterfalls, spend a few minutes afterwards trying this subject.

It is fun, challenging and you may even like the results. In fact, if you want some abstracts to hang up, this technique is worth trying.


Gear
Of course, you can shoot water bubbles in the bath, should you feel that way inclined. However, this idea is water bubbles in a babbling brook or at the foot of a waterfall.

Wellies or waders mean that you have more freedom regarding camera position but you can just find a suitable spot by keeping your feet dry and standing on a rock or something.

Health and safety point here. Please take care on slippery rocks and obviously take care of your kit.

A DSLR is better than a compact or bridge camera. You have more control and there is less of an issue with shutter lag.

Lens-wise, try your lens's macro feature or use a macro lens. A macro lens used close up is perfect, but there will not be a great deal of depth-of-field at such fast shutter speeds. Setting a high ISO is an option, but that depends on the noise performance of your DSLR. Personally, I do not go beyond ISO 400 for this sort of work – but that's because when I get the ultimate shot, I am going to blow it up big.


Technique
Shoot lots. You are not going to get the perfect picture in a couple of frames.

Find yourself a good spot in the stream. This can be in a sunbeam or it can be in the shade. However, very fast shutter speeds are the order of the day, so check the lighting and if you are getting 1/1000sec or more, great. It is an opportunity to explore those speeds of 1/2000sec and 1/4000sec. As with blurring flowing water, try different shutter speeds.

Flash is worth a try too if your DSLR and flashgun give correct flash sync at all shutter speeds.

Exposure and focusing are technical challenges. Your DSLR is not going to manage to autofocus – water bubbles do not hang around waiting for your AF to kick in. The best thing is to focus manually and then change camera position to get sharp focus. The reject rate will be high.

You could, of course, use a tripod and position the camera so it is pointing down. Tripods such as the Manfrotto 190XPROB or Giottos MTL9351B that allow changing the centre column to a lateral arm are perfect for this sort of work.

Exposure can be tricky because you have bright, sunlit bubble against a dark background, and the scene is constantly changing. Like focusing, taking the manual option is worth a serious thought. Meter manually, shoot some frames and make adjustments. Once you have metered for a particular lighting situation, it is time to start shooting.

You will find that the micro landscape in front of you is never the same twice – miss a shot and you are not going to get another identical shot. Put in a positive way, every shot you take will be unique – no question.


You've read the article, now go take some fantastic images. You can then upload the pictures, plus any advice and suggestions you have into the dedicated Photo Month forum for everyone at ePHOTOzine to enjoy.