Plants after a rainfall.

Water drops on leaves after a rainfall.

I do not like taking my camera equipment out during the rain but it can be very profitable to do so after it stops.  There are a number of creatures that prefer the wet, most notably amphibians.  It is rare to run into them though even in damp conditions, so fauna does not tend to be a big draw for me.  Flora, which may have otherwise not been of much interest, takes on new dimensions as water droplets can often be found dancing on leaf surfaces right after modest precipitation.  Time is of the essence because the water may evaporate, be absorbed, or be driven off; the sensitive droplets at the mercy of wind or touch.

So it was a couple of days ago when, after a brief downpour, I took my camera and macro setup out to see what moments I could capture.  A neighbour's garden proved to be the perfect scene as there were plenty of water droplets on ephemeral display.  The lupin I chose was of particular interest because of the size and position of the aqueous spheres; I loved how they altered the light from my twin flashes.  What's interesting in this shot is that it is actually a composite of two separate photos.

As the distance between camera and subject reduces depth of field follows suit.  Even though I was shooting at f/16, I could get the center drop in focus at the expense of the peripheral drops; the reverse was also true.  I ended up taking two photos, each having a different point of focus, and combining them later in post.  I did this using the "Auto-blend" options in Photoshop CC.  The kicker in this was that the images were taken by hand; the two pictures were not lined up or even shot from the exact same distance.  The program scaled, rotated, and translated the images so they lined up perfectly.

There are a few things I like about the shot.  Lupins can handle dry weather well because of the waxy coating on the leaves.  It is this waxy layer that makes the water bead up so nicely; the leaves are hydrophobic.  The black lines between leaves is because of the fast shutter speed (1/250) and small aperture; the only significant source of light came from the twin macro flashes being used.  I cropped the image so the drops fell along lines of thirds.  The lines, appeal of the water, and stark contrast all lend to a pleasant photo.

You can produce your own drops by putting water in an aerosol spray bottle and dousing vegetation of your choice.  The spherical and refractive nature of water makes them act as little lenses that produce fascinating images when shot from the side.  Not only could you get some great photos, you would give some thirst plants a refreshing drink.  Everybody wins.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com   Eric Svendsen