Awards, Grants, and Contests

Omri Snir

Award: Top 100

School: whitfield school
Teacher: chris sellers
Category: Contrived
Photo #21210

Droplet

When I first took a photography class last year,  the three main camera settings I learned about were aperture,  ISO,  and shutter speed. To capture fast-moving objects like athletes or planes in focus,  I learned how important shutter speed is. However,  for droplet photography,  lighting and flash are more important than shutter speed. When taking photos of droplets as a part of my larger final physics project,  I learned how the inverse square law applies to this specific photoshoot. When moving the flashes closer to the subject,  I realized that the light had to cover less area and could be more intense. This allowed me to better control the intensity of the subject.

I chose this photo specifically for a few main reasons. First,  the ripples that are created from the droplets hitting the water are beautiful,  with the water starting to rise above the top of the cup,  showing the surface tension it holds because of its molecular characteristics. Additionally,  the canopy that is created is eye-catching because of the asymmetrical and more natural shape it creates. Overall,  this photo pushed me to understand how physics is applied when I am taking contrived photos,  but also the chemical applications of water in photography.