Capturing Raindrops & Dew

Capturing Raindrops & Dew
Autumn & Winter brings rain (hopefully) & dew. Early in the morning or after rain you can get some beautiful photos. All these photos depend on the angle of the sun or light for the droplets to be seen at their best. So you will need to move around your subject till you see the drops at their best.

Droplets on Spider Webs
Early morning is great for dew on webs. Also, the sun is low in the sky which can make the web / drops more visible. Take note of your background. There is no use having a beautiful web with a confusing background as you won't be able to see the web clearly. Look for some shadow to put the web against. It is a juggling act to get the sun angle and the background right. Sometimes it just won't work - so move on to another web.

Droplets on Flat Leaves
Once again the angle of the sun is critical. Look for a good composition as well. If the background is not good, consider filling the frame with the leaf or leaves.
Some leaves have a waxy surface, which cause the droplets to ball up to a sphere, eg Ginko leaves, Eucalyptus leaves & Waterlily leaves. These round droplets can act like a lens and can have reflections in them.

Droplets on Fine Drooping Leaves
The droplets on these leaves run right down to the tips, creating a different photo opportunity. Try and photograph the ends of branches to keep the droplets on a similar plane and avoid confusion.

Flowers can also collect drops of water. Roses always look great with a spray of water. Look also for rainbows, especially with spider webs particularly if it is still drizzling and the sun is out.

What Settings Should I Use?
The Depth of Field is the most important setting here. You need a reasonable depth, so you can start by using f8. Look at the image you have taken and see whether you need more or less in focus. If you are photographing a rose, you may need a higher f-stop to get all the petals in focus. If you are photographing a flat leaf, you can have a smaller f-stop.

Spider webs will depend on the angle you are on. Shutter speed - if there is a breeze, you may need a fast shutter speed to stop movement. Your focus will be quite difficult if this happens so be prepared to take lots of shots and check for sharpness.

Use your ISO to balance the exposure
Enjoy the challenge and the rewards!