Stopping Gravity

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    This is incredibly difficult to do... even with all the right equipment. Catching drips of coffee is hit and miss even with the D200 and a slew of SB-800 setup in groups. There are so many challenges.

    1. Making the coffee... You can't have the grind too coarse such that it flows so quickly you have no time to take the shot. Nor can you have it too fine such that it produces and ugly espresso with ugly colored crema.
    2. Focusing on this ball is near impossible because it doesn't exist for the split second and then it does. You can't track it. Macro lenses aren't super fast focusing so that makes life really difficult.
    3. SB-800's in all those groups won't recycle fast enough once you've taken one shot.
    4. There was next to no ambient light so all the lighting was created by groups of SB-800 strobes.
    5. You can only extract the espresso for about 30 seconds, it doesn't give you a lot of time, you got to be fast and lucky.
    6. Composition is tricky, space is limited, and even compositions you thought of before the shot is pulled can't easily be reproduced under the pressure of all those aforementioned factors.

    Comments and faves

    1. ds1029, T. Scott Carlisle, sgwizdak, Stephen Brisendine, and 34 other people added this photo to their favorites.

    2. waynewoo (60 months ago | reply)

      WOW --- What a great shot!!

      I'm so mesmerized. LOL

    3. T. Scott Carlisle (60 months ago | reply)

      Nicely composed, especially considering the work involved. Well done.--
      Found in a search. (?)

    4. sgwizdak (60 months ago | reply)

      Nicely done!

    5. Stephen Brisendine (60 months ago | reply)

      mmmmmmmmmm.. cooooffffffffeeeeeeeeeeee.

      yes, I've tried drip/drop/splash photos before, and they're as tiresome as you describe. awesome job here.
      --
      Seen in Nikon D200 Users (?)

    6. Lindsay Erika (60 months ago | reply)

      mmm... coffee freak here. Very, very nice! Yup, I want some now. Even if it was tedious to get the shot, I bet you enjoyed, um, drinking the shots as you tried a few times. I don't feel bad for you at all. ^__^ ...and, can I play with your espresso machine?

      --
      Seen in the interestingness archives. (?)

    7. flippantfiasco (60 months ago | reply)

      Very, very nicely done. Catching drops is a thankless job :)

    8. dfactory (60 months ago | reply)

      Wow! Perfect capture ;)
      Seems hard to do this.

    9. Karney Li (60 months ago | reply)

      I think we took about 500 photos. It gets easier but even then not easy enough.

    10. Cocoa Dream (60 months ago | reply)

      amazing!!! you guys succeeded!

    11. JTeale (60 months ago | reply)

      to me this is the perfect shot for the perfect subject. Just wonderful... I have been trying so hard to get a shot of this quality for some time now... I am so jealous

    12. mm.adrenalina (60 months ago | reply)

      Great picture!!!!

    13. seedsower (60 months ago | reply)

      I love it,I like the pic much more than I like coffee!!!

    14. Terry -Pueblo Paradiso (60 months ago | reply)

      Pour me a cup, will ya!
      Stunning capture!....thanks

    15. uglybugga (60 months ago | reply)

      Congrats on what is so obviously a tricky subject to capture. Excellent work!

      Beauty is in the *EYE* of the Beholder
      EYE Second That Your Photo Is Beautiful!
      Beauty is in the *Eye* of the Beholder!

    16. Finkeli (60 months ago | reply)

      amazing shot! wow - love the colors, light and composition too!!!

    17. digital kid2007 (49 months ago | reply)

      Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Share your best with the World, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

      Wonderful shot

    18. Benite2 [deleted] (32 months ago | reply)

      Hi,
      Report is a recognized communication agency in Brazil, specially producing Sustainability and Annual Reports.
      One of our customers - a coffee producer - is interested in your picture, in order to place it in a Power Point restricted presentation.
      Please reply for one of this e-mail: thais.design@reportcomunicacao.com.br

      picture nr.: 560575820

      Thanks in advance.
      Best regards,
      Thais

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