Refraction in Water Drops - it's really not difficult

Refraction in water drops is a fascinating subject in macro photography. I show you how it's done and demonstrate that you don't need specialised gear and lighting kit. All you need is a camera with macro lens, the rest can be improvised with what you find in your household anyway.
Here is a link to a set of syringes and blunt needles I use to place the droplets. It is an Amazon affiliate link, which means, if you buy, I maz receive a small comission: geni.us/RL54pwL
Connect with me:
My Website: www.herboldphotography.com
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Subscribe to my KZbin Channel: / oliverherbold
My gear - Amazon affiliate links. Which means, if you buy something, I may receive a small commission:
Macro Helpers:
Shintop 20 Pack Syringes with Blunt Tip: geni.us/RL54pwL
Dproptel 10pcs Memo Clip Holder Stand with Alligator Clasp: geni.us/BzRnYNh
Helping Hands: geni.us/XiGx8jU
Photo:
Canon 5D Mark III (Mark IV): geni.us/T1seazO
Canon EF 16-35mm f/4 IS USM: geni.us/Rwv7a
Canon 7D Mark II: geni.us/f9pbQA
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM: geni.us/y2nl5
Canon EF 100mm 1:2.8 USM Macro: geni.us/0Nrl
Tamron SP 70-200 mm G2 VC USD: geni.us/JhO54n
Tamron 24-70 mm G2 VC USD: geni.us/5Nme
Video:
Canon EOS 70D: geni.us/xTgmw
Rode VideoMicro Compact: geni.us/2w1NeJE
Tripod and Head:
Gitzo 4 Series carbon fibre tripod: geni.us/kJ6oC
Novoflex CB5-II Ball Head: geni.us/dG8hVpl
Novoflex Q-Mount: geni.us/kU4OedZ
Manfrotto 055 Xpro3: geni.us/yMZAboa
Manfrotto MHXPRO-BHQ2: geni.us/39VTmV
Lighting:
Neewer NL660, 2-Pack Kit (Red): geni.us/s0fu
Neewer NW F-970 Li-ion Batteries (2-pack): geni.us/NWQJ5Z
Head Torch:
Petzl Tikka Headlamp: geni.us/XNAa9
Bags and Backpacks:
Lowepro ProTactic 450 AW II: geni.us/ZaG1Des
ThinkTank Retrospective 20: geni.us/bLIS

[@dcboz71bosworth79]

Thank you for your instruction ! You are a genius ! A practical person with a ton of common sense.

[@stephenmarsh883]

Excellent video great tips thanks for sharing

[@kipmay5101]

Beautiful images. Wonderful tutorial with so many helpful tips. Thank you.

[@adameccleston554]

I love your practicality, you keep things simple and real. Thank you!

[@OliverHerbold]

Thank you very much Adam. Im glad you like the keep it simple style. Your nice words motivate me to carry on.

[@ruthmayer1798]

Hi Oliver I just found your site the other day and your instructions are great. I created my first water droplet photo and now I am hooked. I like the way you explain how you set up and don't seem to leave anything out. Your work is great. I will be watching all of your youube videos. Very inspirational!!

[@OliverHerbold]

Didn't I mention that it is addictive? Thank you for stopping by and leaving such a nice comment.

[@LBofcourse]

Thank you for taking the time to put together this video and for sharing such useful information! I'm looking to set up a small dedicated macro photography space in my home and seeing your set up was very helpful.

[@DavidWeinstein-ri2rv]

Thank you for the fun video. I begin teaching at UNLV tomorrow in the Olli program and this semester one of the fun lessons will be the joys of macro photography. My students will be able to understand and jump right in to create fun, beautiful pictures. I NEVER thought about a rubber ducky...now I have to see how a Three Stooges keychain might look. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@Nancy_F036]

I'm really impressed. I thought it was much harder. Thanks for teaching us your technique

[@OliverHerbold]

You're most welcome. Now as you know how it’s done, don't wait and get to be creative... 😉

[@janutterstrom8687]

Hey Oliver... thanks so much for a wonderful demonstration and step by step tutorial. I love your work and look forward to creating my own.

[@OliverHerbold]

Thanks a lot for this wonderful comment Jan. I wish you loads of beautiful images 👍😉

[@ChrisHunt4497]

Thank you. You inspired me to try this again. Very clear instructions. Ideal. 👏

[@OliverHerbold]

Oh, I am the one who has to thank you for this wonderful feedback!

[@monanathaliewinbrant5797]

Thank you so much. So useful and inspiring❣

[@Orkney_Pirate]

Thank you Oliver, very helpful!

[@elisabethlafontaine8979]

Loved this! I’m off to get flowers and to try it. Thank you!

[@ulrichpollmann1276]

Thank you very much for your helpful tutorial and many greetings from Cologne/Germany

[@GARY1951A]

WOW!! That is cool! I see what you mean with the larger backdrops! Going to try this again! Thanks for the video -- as always inspirational!

[@OliverHerbold]

Inspiration is what I was hoping for. I'm glad it seemed to work 👍

[@terrykellyphotography6171]

Awesome, thank you for making this video.

[@jeffstraw466]

Fabulous, I’d never have thought of that, I’ve got to try it. Thanks!

[@smougeotte61]

Very well explained video. Thank you so much for sharing your talent and knowledge 😊

[@OliverHerbold]

A huge thank you for this wonderful feedback. I appreciate it a lot.

[@sherrieh847]

I've watched this video and one more of yours. Looking forward to seeing the rest, too. I'm basically a beginner (at age 65) in all aspects of photography. But, macro has really caught my attention since getting some really super-cool, one-of-a-kind landscape shots also requires the skills of a mountain goat😂 (Kind of kidding, but after a day on the hiking trail, my bones/muscles don't recuperate like they used to.) You have a great way of communicating and I love your presentation-style. (Love your T-shirt, too! Funny! I need to get one like that.) Also, I love the way you put failure into perspective . . . "Just fail better next time." Best to ya from the USA. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@OliverHerbold]

Hi Sherrie, Photography is not only for the youngsters and as you can see, I am not one of them either. But trust me, there are many landscapes out there that want to be photographed without the skills of a mountain goat. But as you can see, there are subjects that prefer to have their picture taken at home, even while sitting down in a relaxed environment. So there is plenty to do. You should really try the "fail better" approach, it helped me a lot to develop my own skills! And yes, the T-Shirt is one of my favourites ;) Thanks a lot for stopping by and greetings from a German guy, currently living in England.

[@fdx969]

Awesome,you’re the best!

[@prsearls]

You give good instruction using inexpensive equipment that most photographers already have. This is a good project for these dreary, winter months. Your beautiful images illustrate your good technique and creativity. I'm looking forward to trying this out. Another source of background images would be photographs or graphic art on an iPad.

[@kimmojalkanen2912]

Hi! Very clear and simple instructions. Thanks!

[@OliverHerbold]

Thanks a lot for this lively feedback Kimmo!

[@michalhughes5345]

WOW! Just stumbled across this video, EXCELLENT JOB! I can't wait to try and give it a go! Thank you!

[@OliverHerbold]

Thank you for your kind words. Give it a go and enjoy it.

[@ledesclos5321]

Enjoyed this, definitely inspired. Can do. Thank you.

[@kennuff2]

Hello Oliver. That was fantastic and well presented, thank you for the video, I am going into my garden now to find a LARGE flower and have a go.

[@louisruth9348]

Very well explained video. Thank you.

[@OliverHerbold]

I am the one who has to thank you for your nice feedback Louis!

[@denischasse3567]

much loved it! thank you very much for that little trick 👍 très apprécié , merci beaucoup!

[@OliverHerbold]

Mercis Denis! I am always happy to share - and even happier when you like it ;)

[@CruisingwithChooChoo]

Thanks so much for this very informative tutorial. I’ll be trying this soon.

[@OliverHerbold]

Thanks so much for your lovely words. I'm always happy when I can inspire!

[@pragawa]

Thank you

[@averylittle7350]

Excellent, thankyou very much.

[@afzalshaikhshahmahammad]

Awesome work Oliver. Just Subscribed. Simple and easily accessible accessories to get 'that-Shot'! Definitely inspirational.

[@chrissimiles3599]

Pretty awesome. Really want to try this 😅

[@kurtoswald2269]

Your videos are great. I really learn a lot from them.

[@OliverHerbold]

Thank you very much for such a lovely feedback Kurt.

[@philyoung4804]

Fantastic. Bravo Sir 👏👏

[@mikepressey9971]

Very well presented, Thank You.

[@OliverHerbold]

No Mike, I am the one who has to thank you for your lovely feedback!

[@jennifercarrigan1979]

thanks. You have made that look very easy to try!

[@OliverHerbold]

Thank you Jennifer! Encouraging people to try it was my intention - and I'm glad it worked ;)

[@AnVoPhotography]

This was awesome. Thanks a lot

[@OliverHerbold]

Thank you very much for yoru lovely feedback!

[@anilbabbar2290]

Very creative, thanks

[@markstevens6682]

Wow Oliver, that’s awesome! I am in the process of getting started with Macro photography… I just setup a little studio/macro lab and this is going to be something I’ll attempt first…

[@apumountainguides]

great work ! Thanks for sharing.

[@OliverHerbold]

Many thanks for your nice feedback 👍

[@mikedavis1110]

Great info and examples!!

[@OliverHerbold]

Thank you very much Mike 👍

[@ICE-or8zw]

Excellent content. Thank you for sharing it. Best wishes from The Netherlands.

[@OliverHerbold]

My apologies for totally missing your comment. But here is a totally delayed thank you very much.

[@elsiepoynton9576]

Thanks really appreciate your work

[@OliverHerbold]

That's very nice of you, thank you very much for your lovely feedback!

[@Sa.VideoPhotography]

That is COOL ! I like it, simple set up but you are smart.

[@OliverHerbold]

This is very nice of you Sarina. In fact I like to keep things simple and not unnecessary complicated.

[@mariairmasaiz248]

thank you for this video - very helfpul! I will be trying this out soon myself.

[@OliverHerbold]

Thanks a lot for your lovely feedback and I wish you great success.

[@walterkim7674]

Thanks.

[@OliverHerbold]

You're very welcome Walter.

[@terryjones6049]

Great video. I now know I have all the gear I need, thanks .

[@OliverHerbold]

Cheers Terry. Not much specialised gear needed. Improvisation and creativity are close together.

[@andrzejk4959]

Great movie and great educational material. Best regards from Poland

[@OliverHerbold]

I'm super happy you liked it Andrzej - and I hope you got some inspiration out of it. Greetings to Poland :)

[@ForevermoreVibe]

Really nice, thank you.

[@OliverHerbold]

I have to thank you for this nice feedback 😊

[@martinevans9841]

Great tutorial Oliver 👍😊

[@OliverHerbold]

A huge thank you for coming over and leaving a comment Martin. I appreciate it a lot!

[@er1ck24]

Very cool. Definitely trying it out. New subscriber from Dominican Republic.

[@fatah_fish2752]

Nice & Smart...

[@lorneturner5318]

Thanks....very informative.

[@OliverHerbold]

Thank you very much for your kind words.

[@captinktm]

I have done this many times with natural drops with various results but this is brilliant. Guess what I shall be doing on these long winter evenings. Thanks for your inspiration and a great tutorial.

[@OliverHerbold]

Thank you very much Chris! Im glad I could inspire you. And they are still natural droos, even though we create them ourselves 😉

[@captinktm]

@@OliverHerbold I tried your set up last night, the only thing I did n't have was a syringe and I had the devils own job to get the drops to stay on top. But I shall keep at it. Your idea of natural and mine differ. I am talking about brambles and branches with what ever reflection they have in them. I don't touch them at all.

[@OliverHerbold]

@@captinktm I understood your view on natural drops and I was just joking. The syringe makes it a lot easier but I had good results with a pair of pointed tweezers. Still a bit tricky though...

[@f.youpi4.c195]

Wow ! thanks very much

[@OliverHerbold]

Thank you for your lovely feedback.

[@it2rickrivera]

Beautiful

[@OliverHerbold]

Thank you Ric.

[@1027Paula]

Very good instructions. Can you tell me some of the tools you used to hold your flashlights, lights used and holder for flower? You can never have too many toys. 😁

[@franciscoribeiro8276]

Good!

[@OliverHerbold]

Thank you Francisco.

[@jessicaeiss2541]

HI, I'm glad I finally watched this, it's been popping up in my suggested videos and finally watched it tonight. I looked at your list of gear, but maybe I missed it, what was your focal length for shooting? I have a 105mm macro lens, but have to be a foot away. I definitely want to give this a try... thanks for the easy set up demo!

[@bsphotography6603]

Great

[@OliverHerbold]

Thanks a lot 😊👍

[@tomingrassiaimages8776]

Inspiring.

[@OliverHerbold]

Thanks a lot Tom.

[@javiere38]

Thank you very much for sharing the method of refraction, the results are spectacular and inspiring. Congratulations. I would be interested in knowing where to buy the mini tripod and accessory that shows us in the video, if you are so kind. Again thank you for your videos and I save a site in my favorites.

[@OliverHerbold]

Thank you very much for your lovely comment Javier! The mini tripod actually came together with a Zoom H1 voice recorder, I have never seen it alone anywhere. The paper clips are from Amazon, inexpensive and meant for a totally different purpose: geni.us/BzRnYNh. If there is anything in particular you would like to know, don't hesitate to ask.

[@robinc-k7162]

thank you for sharing this video. I have done this a few time now and would love any tips on how to get the droplet to stay right at the tip of the petal hanging down, as was shown in one of the images at the end.

[@OliverHerbold]

Hi Robin, thank you for your kind words. Placing the droplets in the position you want can require a bit of patience - and sometimes luck 😉 As shown in the video, I'm using a syringe with blunt needles. Sometimes it helps to spray the surface with a spray flask first. That works like a primer and can help with positioning. This is all I do and hope it helps.

[@patriciaalexander-johnson4797]

How do you get the flowers in the water sharp?

[@HeleneUllock]

What is the name of the clamp that you are using to secure the tiny leaf. It is shown at 3:21 in your video.

[@GARY1951A]

Have tried this again using a syringe, but how do you get the drops to stay on top of the flower pedal? All mine want to roll to the bottom ?? Is there anything you look for on a platform for the drops? Still having fun and now thinking of "compositions" - I really like the ones you showed at the end!! Thanks for the inspiration, Oliver!!!

[@OliverHerbold]

Well, that part really can bring your patience to the test. Balance well and try different positions. It's worth to try carefully spraying on the petal first, it's like priming before you paint. If it really doesn't want to work, switch to a different plant. I hope it works out for you Gary!

[@cazgreen1]

Hi Oliver, i just wondered where you purchased your light from the Neewer cn 160, as i noticed it has a little base on it the only ones i can find are ones that have a screw hole underneath to go onto cameras, can you help please :)

[@OliverHerbold]

Hi Caz, apologies for not paying attention to this little detail. The stands I used came with my flashes and are not part of the LED lights. But I found an inexpensive set for you on Amazon that will do the job: geni.us/jevpG I hope that answers your question ;)

[@ilyaaverbukh1482]

Thank you for great tutorial. Are you using plain water? I never get such perfect drops :(, they always fall.

[@OliverHerbold]

Thanks again Ilya. Yes, i use plain water. The trick is not to make them too big and the surface tension will keep them in shape. In this case, small is beautiful 😉

[@jasperbuitenhuis6771]

I don't understand this video has 18k views but less then 800 likes. Just unbelievable! Thanks for sharing I'm going to hopefully try this out this weekend.

[@OliverHerbold]

Thank you very much Jasper, this is very kind of you. I hope you found the tie to play around with this and got some cool images!

[@viviennenoonan5534]

Hi Oliver, yet another fabulous tutorial. One question though, is it just water in your syringe or do you ever use or add glycerine? Thank you

[@OliverHerbold]

Thank you so much for your kind words Vivienne. The droplets in this video are made of pure tap water. No glycerine or anything else added.

[@albertorosadorosario6144]

Hey Oliver!! I love your work but I got a question? How you avoid unwanted reflections like windows, and others things around.......

[@OliverHerbold]

Thank you Alberto. This can be tricky indeed. Usually I close the curtains to reduce ambient light. The reduce shutter speed to reduce it even more. And the focus on my artificial light to get the results I desire. Does that help? If not, just ask.

[@imagesbyreuben]

Great video with clear instructions. Can you tell me whether you bought the blunt needle or did you make one? Since small kids around it will be safe to keep. Thanks

[@OliverHerbold]

Thank you very much Reuben! Syringes together with a set of blunt needles were purchased from Amazon. Good thinking with the kids, I would even keep the blunt ones out of their reach.

[@imagesbyreuben]

@@OliverHerbold thanks and love your videos and you are a natural teacher. Watching the rest of it too. Also is there a size I should look for for the syringe / needle? Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.

[@OliverHerbold]

@@imagesbyreuben I'm really happy tp hear that! I got myself an inexpensive set with various sizes, this one here: geni.us/RL54pwL For the fine work I usually stick to the smaller ones because they are easyer to handle. I hope that helps.

[@imagesbyreuben]

@@OliverHerbold Thanks and you are great in coming up with inexpensive tools and techniques. Good to do a video on your gear or link them on the page. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@miguelangel1138]

Hi, I wish to know the reference of the minitrípode you use to fix the flower. Sorry for my English I don't use it more. Thanks for you videos, I'm learning a lot watching them. Best wishes from Spain.

[@OliverHerbold]

Hi Miguel, that mini tripod actually came as accessory together with my external sound recorder and I thought it does this particular job in the video well. I would not recommend buying this particular model stand alone. But if your search Amazon for "mini tripod", you will find a lot of models that you can use for multiple occasions, like this one here: amzn.to/3av48Dn And to round it up, I also use a set of camera screw adapters like this one here: amzn.to/3tGV31U Finally, don't worry about your English, it's obviously a second language for me too ;)

[@miguelangel1138]

Thanks a lot...

[@papabear7875]

What lens do you use for macro photography?

[@OliverHerbold]

Hi papabear, my macro lens is a Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro. The old version without stabiliser.

[@nickreid5939]

Where can i get these mini tripod stands...?

[@OliverHerbold]

Hi Nick, Amazon is always a good source for these items, like this one here: amzn.to/3qEW89T The one I used came together with a voice recorder 😎

[@martinmeyer2008]

Very very nice! Subscribed for more! :-)

[@OliverHerbold]

Now that's a response I love. Thanks a lot!

[@adamsmith6594]

Ernst Blofeld does macro 😋

[@OliverHerbold]

Now that's an extra point for creative comments 😎 Hope you got some information from the video too.

[@adamiecmarta]

Nope, Gru - only minions are missing!

[@adamsmith6594]

@@OliverHerbold I certainly did and thank you. Father Christmas brought a macro lens hence watching your videos.

[@OliverHerbold]

Oh, that's exciting. Have loads of fun and why don't you let me see your results...

[@OliverHerbold]

@@adamiecmarta for you I will be Gru ;)

[@jsr8884]

You make the subject idiot proof! Thank you.

[@OliverHerbold]

Strong words mate. Thanks for the cool feedback!

[@user-oy6gv6iw3u]

Ну зачем всем смотреть на твою рожу, лучше показывай больше процесс съёмки