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A garden sprinkler and a little imagination goes a long way

By Mason Resnick

August 24, 2009

You can make it rain! Well...actually, you can make it appear to be raining in your own backyard with simple gardening tools and a bit of planning.



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What you need:
  • A digital camera, preferably a DSLR, with a moderately long telephoto lens.
  • A tripod
  • A plant or flower to use as the subject
  • A garden hose
  • A garden sprinkler
Make sure your plant is against a dark background. If the sun's out, position yourself so the sun is in front of you but slightly above or off to the side. The backlighting adds a dramatic touch.

Place the garden sprinker off slightly to one side, and aim it so its arc of water lands on your plant or flowers.

Place your tripod-mounted camera out of the range of the water but close enough for a tight composition. Choose a slow shutter speed, around 1/15 or 1/8 sec. Use a low ISO and if necessary a neutral density filter to slow the shutter speed down. The longer the shutter speed, the longer and more dramatic and "rainy" the water trails will appear.



Instant sunshower: Shutter speed was 1/8 sec, and it looks like rain. In reject shot, right, shutter speed was 1/30 sec., and the result is not as precipitous. Gear: Canon 30D with Sigma 55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens mounted on a Velbon EL Carmagne 640A tripod.

 

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2 readers rated this article. Average rating: 4.0 stars
 
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Thanks for a great tiip!!!

I found this tip very helpful and interesting, I'll be giving it a try real soon thank you

by Steve in Mira Loma CA. on June 8, 2010

1 of 1 people found this comment helpful
 
One step beyond

This takes "misting" with a spray bottle one step further. Thanks for the tip.

by texasdan78070 in Hill Country, TX on May 30, 2010

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