Photographing Waterdrops: Exploring Macro Worlds with Harold Davis by Focal Press teaches you the skills to photograph the most challenging of images, water droplets. From challenges to working with constantly moving subjects and reflected light to basic info on which equipment works best, this book will help all macro-loving photographers turn their lens on water, water, everywhere. When done with skill, these images can become some of the most unique shots you've ever taken.

This beautifully illustrated guide is packed with creative inspiration alongside technical expertise. Award-winning photographer Harold Davis shows you how he creates his stunning water drop images.

Includes valuable creative and technical information for perfecting your water shots, from equipment basics to general inspiration and everything in between.

Shooting images of water presents unique difficulties; learn how to dive in head-first and overcome the challenges of working in the natural world.

Packed with award-winning imagery from one of the world's best macro photographers.

Contents

Introduction

Waterdrop Worlds

Wet World

Water Defines Life

Powers of Ten

Life Cycle of a Waterdrop

How Small is Small?

Physics of Waterdrops

Different Kinds of Waterdrops

Reflections and Refractions

Spiderweb Studio

Sunbursts

Waterdrop as Lens

Making Waterdrop Photos

Planning Waterdrop Exposures

Using an Exposure Histogram

Choosing a Lens

Macro Lenses

Comparing Macro Lenses

Extension Tubes

Close-up Filters

Tripods and Gadgets

Dealing with Extreme Macros

Aperture and Depth-of-field

Waterdrop Compositions

Working with Natural Light

Using a Macro Flash

Waterdrops in the Digital Darkroom

Poetry in Post-Production

Waterdrop Image Workflow

Multi-RAW Processing

Enhancing Colors

Making Waterdrops Sharp

Waterdrops in Black & White

Waterdrops and HDR

Resources

Glossary

Index

About the Author

Harold Davis is an award-winning professional photographer. He is the best-selling author of more than 30 books and writes on many photo blogs. He has been a software engineer, an enterprise technology consultant, and an Internet company executive. Photographic adventures and assignments have taken him across the Brooks Range, the northernmost mountains in Alaska. He has photographed the World Trade Towers, hanging out of a small plane, followed in the footsteps of Seneca Ray Stoddard, a 19th-century photographer of the Adirondacks, and created human interest photo stories about the residents of Love Canal, an environmental disaster area. Harold is well known for his night photography and experimental ultra-long exposure techniques, use of vibrant, saturated colors in landscape compositions, and beautiful creative floral imagery. He is inspired by the flowers in his garden, hiking in the wilderness, and the work of great artists and photographers including M.C. Escher, Monet, van Gogh, and Edward Weston.