Photography
Balloon Burst
December 2014
The aim of these images was to try and capture water in a suspended state by bursting a balloon and shooting the images at a high shutter speed. These images were taken in Raw with a Nikon 3200 and processed using Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop CS6.
Interesting Parts
- These images were shot with a shutter speed of 1/320 of a second, ISO of 100 and an aperture of f/5.6.
- Ove 80 balloons were used in the making of this image, due to experimenting with different shutter speeds and environments.
- The amount of water in the balloon greatly effects the final image. More water results in the liquid holding a more solid shape, whereas less water gives a more rippled effect.
- The images to the left and below demonstrate the difference timing can make in the creation of an image like this.
What I learned
- As mentioned above, I learned a lot about timing. Co-ordinating the popping of the balloon with the shutter of the camera takes time and patience, although the "near-misses" sometimes result in an interesting effect.
- Focusing the camera for this type of shot is quite an experimental process, as you almost need to put the balloon out of focus slightly to ensure the water will be in focus, as it will sit slightly further away from the camera.
- I learned that warm water and cold water react differently when the balloon is burst. Warm water tends to drop immediately, whereas cold water seems to hold its shape a millisecond or two longer.
