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How to shoot water splash product photography using a DIY catapult

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Water splashes often seem to go hand in hand with product photography, although it’s not always easy to capture. Often it requires several pairs of hands to man the camera while simultaneously throwing water at your subject. But it’s possible to shoot it on your own quite easily using a DIY catapult, built from mostly standard gear you already have in your studio.

You’ll need a few bits of wood, screws, a bungee cord and a length of rope as well, but as this video from Matt Huber demonstrates, it’s a really simple design that’s easy to build. But the results it allows you to produce are very effective.

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DIYP reviews the MIOPS Splash water drop photography kit

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In the world of photography, water droplets are something of a rite of passage. It’s the perfect rainy day photography project and one that many of us try at some point or another – to varying degrees of success.

You can increase the chances of that success with a bit of DIY tinkering. Some kind of computer-controlled Arduino based system, perhaps, which times everything perfectly. Or, you can save yourself a lot of build time and hassle and get the MIOPS Splash.

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5 surf & underwater photography hacks and tricks in under a minute

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If you’ve ever taken a camera near water, whether it be a DSLR or a GoPro, you know it can be a hassle. Even when you’ve got all the underwater housings and other bits, it can still be a pain. In this video, surf photographer Dylan Brayshaw gives us 5 great tips for shooting in and around water.

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How to make creative abstract photos with a kettle of boiling water

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There are plenty of opportunities for creative photos all around your home. And one pretty cool idea comes from a Swedish photographer Micael Widell. He uses a glass kettle of boiling water, speedlights with colored gels and a macro lens to get some abstract photos. There are plenty of ways to play with light here. Because of this and the unpredictable movement of water bubbles, you’ll get unique photos every time.

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Get perfect Martini splashes in the studio with just a couple of speedlights

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Liquids are a great source of photographic fun. It’s a topic which fascinates many photographers. There’s so much to experiment and play with. Splashes are particularly intriguing to me a a photographer, because you never really know exactly what you’re going to get. You might fire of 50 or 100 shots before you get the one you want.

That’s where this video from photographer Dustin Dolby steps in to save you a little frustration. With minimal kit, and a little compositing, you can often create fantastic end results much more quickly.

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DIYP Challenge – What is Your Photography Niche?

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In my ongoing quest to streamline my portfolio and re-brand my photography business, one of my biggest challenges is figuring out what exactly is my style – or in other words – what is my photography niche?

In order to successfully market your work to art directors, the prevailing wisdom in the photography community is that you need to develop a personalized style to your work – something that is unique to you.

Of course, finding your personal photography niche is much more difficult than it seems – especially if you are just starting out.  It takes time (and a lot of dead ends) before you start to see consistency in your portfolio and longer still before you can narrow that down to a specific photography niche.

So in this article, I am going to attempt to define my photography niche – and I challenge DIYP readers to submit a link to your own portfolio in the comments along with an explanation as to what you think your niche might be.

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How To: Create Dynamic Water Splash Images

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If you’re looking for a fun photography project this weekend, great times can always be had with lights, camera, and a little water splashing around your studio.

Photographer Mark Richardson gives us a fairly simple tutorial for creating water splash images, particularly those involving a wine glass. Using AlienBees monolights with fast flash duration (not to be confused with high speed sync) and a wireless trigger for his camera, Mark was able to almost effortlessly freeze the liquid in mid air and then composite it with a frame of the empty glass for a final image.
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How A Colorblind Ex-Coal Miner Transformed To A Surf Photographer Extraordinaire


Coming from sleepy, coastal town of Bulli, just south of Syndey, Australia, Ray Collins once did as most of the locals did, slaving away underground working as a coal miner. Art isn’t high priority on most Bulli’s residents list, but Collins isn’t like most. The soft spoken and humble waterman always had a deep seeded appreciation for the surf. He’d often rinse away a hard day’s work in the ocean, taking the time to witness it’s unrivaled beauty and power. But, in his coal mining days, he still hadn’t picked up a camera to document what he saw. Collins didn’t exactly have time the time it takes to dedicate to learning how to photograph waves, much less assemble an entire book’s worth of images.[Read More…]

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