Photo copyright Natalie Smith
I am a lover of the arts in every form. I love when things are executed cleanly and detailed. The reason that I chose my water drop photo is because it represents the detailed style of photography I enjoy shooting. For some time now I’ve wanted to capture motion of water drops in a creative way. I enjoy shooting photos like this because I can set them up in different ways to create unique shots. Taking images of small details is fun for me because I can tweak little aspects of the shot to change the entire look of the image. This allows me to have fun playing with my subjects with endless possibilities. I was trying to communicate a simple shot with different colors blending in the water. When I was taking this series of photos I ended up with many shots with the drop or multiple drops before they hit the water. I chose this particular image because I liked the way the colors in the water blended, and how still the surrounding water is. I was happy with the turnout of this image because it is clean and crisp shot of motion. I am constantly striving to meld my passion for art with my passion for photography. By using my watercolor paints in the water I was able to achieve some sort of unity with my passions. I added drops of different liquid colors in the middle of the bowl for the water drop to blend together. I think this photo conveys a serene feeling with the cool colors and still water around the area where the drop landed. I made the background simple to keep any distractions away from the individual drop. I used my trigger so I could add paint in between each drop of water landing. The camera that I shot this photo was my Nikon d3100. The ISO was at 400, the aperture was at 5.6, and the shutter speed was at 1/200. In post processing I cleaned up some specks of water that were distracting in the background. I also boosted the clarity a tad around the crown of the water drop.
About the Photographer:
My name is Natalie Smith and I am a sophomore at Northern Arizona University. Last year I took my first photography class with no intention on pursuing it as a minor. I found all the classes very fun and informative therefore I decided to make photography my minor. My background has definitely led me to taking photos and shapes the style I shoot. My whole life I grew up as a dancer and have always loved painting and drawing. These passions are reflected in my most favorable shoots. I love taking pictures of dancers and love incorporating art in any way possible. I feel truly lucky to be attending NAU and expanding upon my passions in ways I never imagined. I have come to realize my love for capturing details within my photography. I am looking forward to seeing what other wonderful things will come from my passions and future education with photography.
To read more about the Northern Arizona University “Behind the Image: Guest Blogger” project on our blog, please read the introduction at http://youcansleepwhenyouredead.com/wordpress/3rd-annual-northern-arizona-university-behind-the-image-guest-blogger-project/. Please take a minute to leave your insights and constructive comments in the Comment section below – the student would love to hear from you!