I am playing with shots that involve water in glasses and so forth. The water always seems to have small bubbles in it against the side of the glass. Is there some trick to getting the bubbles out and keeping them out?
Am I right in assuming that distilled water doesn't have those bubbles? I think it's basically the same price as the regular gallons of spring water at the grocery store.
Just don't get in the habit of drinking only distilled water...there are good nutrients in normal water. If you only drink distilled water, you can actually hurt your body.
Boil the water for a few minutes, then let it cool before using.
That worked a treat - I left it to cool overnight and "hey presto!" - no bubbles when I used it. Thanks to everyone who answered.
My next question is about lighting. I have a couple of 500W work lights and the reflections on the glass are very harsh. I have a polarising filter which helps to some degree but not enough. How can I soften the lights such that the reflections are manageable?
My next question is about lighting. I have a couple of 500W work lights and the reflections on the glass are very harsh. I have a polarising filter which helps to some degree but not enough. How can I soften the lights such that the reflections are manageable?
White garbage bags in front of the lights. Just be careful not to let them touch the lights and don't let them get real hot.
Or you can bounce them off crumpled aluminum foil.
I like the bubbles, just not on the front of the container. I usually use a rubber cake spatual to wipe the front glass off before I shoot. It will stay bubble free for a few shots when I'm shooting with soda water. Depending on what you are shooting in the water, you might have to change the water every few attemps also. If you don't you might start seeing particals floating around and will have to clone them out.
For lighting and to keep the reflection from showing, you have to consider the angle of light. Plus you need lots of diffusion. This is where a light tent comes in handy. You will also want to shoot with the room dark and no light falling on the camera or lens. Depending on what you are trying to do, I find a black background works better. I usually use a black photoflex gobo behind my container.
Here is one sample I've done. Again, I was going for the bubbles and was using soda water.
