It’s not always easy to stay creative while stuck at home. Here’s an easy and fun droplet macro photography project to do alone or with the whole family!

What is macro photography?

Macro photography is the ability to photograph small objects with magnification ratios. It’s often useful for taking pictures of insects, flowers, textures like wood, etc. In short, it is perfect to bring out the small details for an infinite number of subjects in a very creative and original way!

Macro photography project
One of my favorite shots I’ve got from this fun project. Taken with Sony a9 + 90mm f/2.8 Macro.

Equipment for your droplet home macro photography project

The equipment needed to carry out this homemade project is very simple. It’s not called an “Easy macro photography project” for nothing. You probably already have most of the required items at home. If not, I also provide options so you can start the project right away.

Water

Yep. Just plain water.

A vaporizer

Worst case scenario, use your fingers to spray!

Glycerine

It’s cheap and you can get it at any drugstore or on Amazon. You could do the project without but it’ll just make it a little harder to make the droplets last and stay in place.

A small and powerful light source

I used Lume Cubes, because they’re small, powerful, adjustable and portable. But any kind of LED light will do the trick as well. The good old “cellphone flashlight” is also a very suitable option!

A macro lens

If you don’t have a macro lens, you can opt for the affordable extension tube set option. If you don’t have either, have fun with a magnifying glass at the end of a regular lens!

Easy macro photography project at home
Left: Setup for the hand shot. Right: Final result. Taken with Sony a9 + 90mm f/2.8 Macro.

Set up for the project

Mix the glycerin with water

The greater the proportion of glycerin, the more “stable” (not runny) the droplets will be.

Make sure the room is as dark as possible

Close the lights and curtains and adjust your camera settings. Try limiting the shutter speed, using a larger aperture or increasing the ISO.

Place the light source very close to your subject

In my case, it’s a body part. In yours, it can be a multitude of other surfaces (plant, mirror, glass bottle, etc.). In short, anything you can get your hands on.

Spray and have fun!

Change the angle of the light and the camera. Tiny changes can make a big difference. And the best part about it — as you can see from the photos in this article — is that the environment can be anything but glamorous … and no one will ever know! (Thanks to the small light source and the shallow depth of field provided by the macro lens).

Easy macro photography project at home
Left: My #NotSoGlamorous setup. Right: Final result. Taken with a Sony a9 + 90mm f/2.8 Macro.

Post-processing

If you want to edit your photos, I strongly suggest a black and white look with a lot of structure. (I did mine with Luminar 4.) It is ideal for bringing to life the contrasts of the highlights and the shadows in the drops.

Get wet!

I found this droplet home macro photography project to be a fascinating and relaxing activity! You’re focused on very small things. You can easily spend hours looking at a subject from every angle … and forget about everything else. Just try it! Your afternoons could suddenly go by very quickly! For more creative projects, make sure to join us on The Artists’ Notebook community on Facebook!