Have you ever wondered how to capture the splash in splash photography? I just love the energy and interest and movement the splash can contribute to drink photographs. Lately, this is one of my favourite things to photograph. They look amazing when done right, (and a bit awful when done wrong) and like with everything in photography, it's all about practise, practise and more practise.
It’s not easy capturing these splashes - they can be quite tricky to do well and get the perfect shots. Mine aren’t perfect by any means - they're definitely a work in progress.
I started seeing quite a bit of splash photography in my Instagram feed and I LOVED it! I had to try it myself. Let me tell you that there is quite a bit of technique and a lot of patience that is needed to nail this kind of shot.
the photo settings of these photographs are exposure 1/1000…….focal length 75mm…....ISO 400..…..aperture f/4
Here are my 5 tips for taking a splash shot
1. camera settings
To capture the splash of a liquid, camera settings matter and the most important camera setting is the shutter speed - it needs to be fast. It needs to ‘freeze’ the movement or action of the splash. It records the movement and makes it static. There is a drawback to using a fast shutter speed. It reduces the amount of light reaching the camera’s sensor, resulting in a darker image. You need to adjust the aperture and/or ISO to accommodate the lack of light. This is definitely where you have to shoot in manual mode. I recommend a shutter speed of over 500 and preferably 1000.
The other camera setting that is super important is the continuous shooting mode or burst mode. In burst mode, several photographs are captured in quick succession by holding down the shutter button. That way you can capture the perfect moment in the middle of all the bad ones! And believe me, there will be MANY bad ones.
2. focus on the glass and the splash
Your focus should be on the glass and the splash. And let me tell you, it is difficult getting the focus on point. You’re either focussing on the glass or on where you think your splash will be and it’s hard to synchronize both. I try to focus on the front rim of the glass where I hope most of the splash will be seen.
3. making the splash
I used large ice cubes and lemon wedges to make the splash. And the best splashes are when you put a little force behind dropping the ice or lemon into your glass. Not too much to break your best vintage glasses but enough to ensure a more dramatic splash. Be prepared for a lot of mess. Some tea towels come in very handy here.
4. an assistant and/or a tripod
If you have an assistant, like I did with some of these shots, it will make your life easier. Your assistant can be in charge of smashing that ice into your glass. Your focus can be on taking the photograph.
If you don’t have a helper, then you will need a tripod. You’ll have to do two things - smashing the ice/lemon wedge into the glass and taking the photograph. It’s harder but doable. I took the red drink shots on my own.
5. patience
My final tip, is to have a little (um, make that a LOT) of patience. I took hundreds of photos to get the few good ones you see here.
Don’t be too hard on yourself - it’s not just about talent, it’s also about the perfect timing between you and your camera! It will take time, but it will be worth it!
the photo settings of these photographs are exposure 1/500…….focal length 63mm…....ISO 320..…..aperture f/9