High Speed Water Crowns and Umbrellas from a Studio Session

Water Drop Collision Studies in a Quiet Studio Setup

Macro Photography

This is pne of my special projects.
This small set of frames explores water drop collision shapes with a calm, almost meditative tempo.
The background stays minimal so the eye can focus on the rim of a crown, the lift of a column, and the tiny beads that fling outward.
I photographed these moments as part of my Water Drops Creative Series using the Canon EOS R5 Mark II in a controlled indoor setup.
Even with simple ingredients, each collision produces a new sculpture that exists for a fraction of a second before falling back into the bowl.
Working slowly and repeating the sequence helped me watch how timing changes the geometry from a clean umbrella to a jagged crown.
I like this style of experiment because it sits between photography and small scale physics, where observation matters as much as aesthetics.
Instead of chasing a single perfect splash, I try to build a short visual study that shows how the same idea evolves across frames.
The images here are a tight edit of that process, chosen for their different edge shapes and the way the ripples echo under each form.

---

---

The first frame shows a slender column rising from the surface, capped by a flattened umbrella shape.
A line of tiny droplets sits along the rim, suggesting the moment just before the edge breaks into wider spray.
Keeping the camera level with the waterline emphasises the clean silhouette and the gentle ripple pattern underneath.
This perspective also makes the shape feel slightly larger than life, even though it is only a small splash measured in centimetres.
I aimed for a balanced exposure that preserves detail in the translucent sheet without pushing contrast too hard.
The structure feels architectural, like a small canopy supported by a single pillar.
When this shape appears, it often signals that the timing between drops is close to a sweet spot for symmetrical collisions.
That small hint of order is part of the fun, because the next attempt can look completely different.

---

---

The second image shifts toward a lower, wider crown where the rim stretches outward instead of lifting high.
The beads around the edge are more irregular, which adds a lively rhythm against the otherwise quiet background.
A slightly higher shooting angle makes the circular ripple lines more visible and gives the crown extra context within the bowl.
Here the surface looks calmer and the crown reads like a thin ring of glass resting on moving water.
This is the phase where the collision starts to feel more like a splash than a sculpture.
By framing with generous negative space, the pattern of droplets becomes the main subject rather than the container or the room behind it.
I also enjoy how the small imperfections break the symmetry just enough to keep the image human and experimental.
The photo captures a moment that is energetic but still controlled, a balance I aim for in this series.

---

---

In the third frame the crown tightens again and the rim becomes more delicate, with finer spikes and smaller droplets hovering nearby.
The cooler tones and the smooth surface suggest a slightly different timing or mixture compared with the previous splashier moment.
To keep the edge crisp, I prioritised stable focus on the rim and accepted a softer falloff toward the background.
This kind of image is where patience matters most, because a few milliseconds decide whether the crown looks clean or chaotic.
The soft studio light avoids harsh reflections and lets the transparency of the water read clearly.
Seen alongside the earlier frames, this one completes a small narrative of expansion and contraction within a single collision idea.
What I love most is how the droplets around the rim appear to hover, as if the crown is briefly suspended in air.
That illusion is fleeting, but it is exactly what makes high speed macro photography so addictive.
Would you like to know more?
You’ll find links to my social media at the bottom of this page.
If you want to see more from this experiment, the water gallery expands the series, and related posts live in the Macro Photography category.

Amir
Photographer, Builder, Dreamer
amir2000.nl