Water!

So I finally decided to post some new pictures. As usual, most will be macro images.

Have you ever though about what a drop of water looks like as it crashes into the surface of a pond? I spent thousands of clicks of the camera figuring this out. All the colors in my images are from the camera, no fancy photoshop trickery here. :) 

This is what my setup looks like:

Plenty of light, a tripod holding a leaking bag of water, a back drop (in this picture is was dvd cases) and of course my macro lens. 

The resulting images blew me out of the water, pun insufferably intended.

So the images taken were from different backgrounds, different settings, and different light schemes, (and obviously different individual droplets) but I'm trying to show the life cycle of a colliding water drop.

Step one: The drop has yet to hit the surface of the water, all looks peaceful, but in a moment wonderful motion will ensue. 

Step two: The droplet collides, sending out a fine mist as the surface tension shatters. This was the only picture of this stage I was able to get. It's over unbelievably fast.

Step three: The droplet is now consumed by the body of water, but the jet is now expanding out, shooting out little water droplets as it goes.

Step four: The crown that formed in step three is being pulled back in by gravity and surface tension.

Step five: As the energy travels inward it is forced upward. These pillars form with a secondary drop separating as it rushes up.

Step six: The rest of the column separates from the body of water into various numbers of droplets (The speed and size of the initial droplet control how these shape)

Step seven: The fall begins anew, these droplets chaotically fall back into the water. They do not have the required energy to form new pillars, but new crowns sometimes form.

Step eight:  An extension of step seven, the actual connection point of droplet back into the water. Odd stair-like ripples form as the droplet is compressed back into the water.

Step nine: Basically step eight, except that everything is now connected to the water. Again, note the interesting patterns on the collapsing drop.

Step ten: Everything is back into the water, no droplet is visible. Its separate identity is now over.

In case these pictures weren't enough for you, here are a couple of my favorites from the shoot.

 I was way excited when I was able to get the rainbow to refract through :-)

 This is one of my dad's favorites, the way the ripples of light are refracted through the drop makes for an interesting subject.

If you have any comments, I love to hear from you. Are there any colors you want me to try? Which step was your favorite? Any other seemingly mundane everyday occurrences you want me to capture? 

Thanks again for viewing,

Cody