Popping Water Balloon Photography Using Fast Shutter Speed

In this video we will be learning how to capture a popping water balloon using a very fast shutter speed.

One of the key takeaways will be that this type of photography, when done in ambient light, requires well lit conditions since the fast shutter speed cuts down a lot of light coming into the camera. Here is the video:

This video is from our Photography for Beginners course, which has 45 videos and 7 hours of video content. You can access the full course via Udemy, using the link below:

DSLR Photography for Beginners Course

Video Summary

This video tutorial demonstrates how to use a fast shutter speed and Burst Mode to capture the dramatic moment of a water balloon bursting.

Setup and Safety

• Hang the Balloon: Use a backdrop stand, a tree branch, or a friend to suspend the water balloon [00:19].
• Location: Shoot outdoors to ensure there is enough ambient light. Using a very fast shutter speed cuts out a lot of light, so shooting indoors would require a very high ISO, leading to grainy, noisy images [00:35].
• Equipment Safety: Stand back and zoom in (e.g., to 55mm) rather than standing close with a wide lens. This protects your camera and lens from water damage when the balloon pops [02:00].
• Bursting Tool: If shooting alone, use a long stick with a needle taped to the end to prick the balloon while you are at the camera [01:06].

Key Camera Settings

• Shutter Speed: Set this to a very fast 1/4000th of a second to freeze the motion of the water and the popping rubber [01:53].
• Aperture: Set the f-stop to f/5.6 [02:22].
• ISO: Adjust your ISO until the light meter is centered. In the video, ISO 1600 was used on an overcast day [02:53].
• Burst Mode (Continuous Shooting): This is essential for action photography. It allows the camera to take multiple shots per second as long as the shutter button is held down, increasing your chances of “timing” the exact moment of the pop [04:08].

Execution

• Activate Burst Mode, bring the needle close, lock focus on the balloon, and hold down the shutter button as you prick the balloon [06:10]. The result should be a series of sharp images showing the water maintaining the balloon’s shape for a split second after it’s pricked [06:40].