Dana and I met at an art show at DragonFire Gallery some time back. I was immediately drawn to her photography work and the process she endures to capture the perfect image. Last year the owner of DragonFire called me and asked if Dana could experiment with some of my paintings as the background to her water drop photography . I just love the contrast between the sharpness of her water drops and the blurred (cropped) images of my work in the back! Some drops even appear to mimic the shapes of the umbrellas or the woman’s jacket. Fun!
Here are a few images she’s shared with me and a bit about her. I encourage you to explore her website at https://www.beachdreamphotography.com/ and on FB https://www.facebook.com/BeachdreamPhotography/
Vancouver, WA photographer, Dana Murray, notes, “Perseverance. Patience. Creativity. These are the qualities I practice most often while photographing drops of water. This type of photography is quite challenging and somewhat unpredictable because I am capturing something that is nearly invisible to the eye. That brief moment when water drops collide can be rewarding as well as disappointing. There is delicate beauty and elements of surprise in each tiny, amazing water drop. I can’t see it…but my camera can.
I have discovered different water sources have their own unique nuances and respond differently during my photography. Sometimes I use tap water, sometimes rainwater or even saltwater I bring home from the Pacific Ocean. I let the water guide me while revealing its unique personality as it drops. One drop at a time—each one different from the last. Drop after drop, hundreds of drops later…waiting patiently in the dark I watch the drops collide and dance while hoping to capture the perfect collision of droplets.”
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Dana Murray is self-taught and has been specializing in creative water drop photography since 2008. All captures are single images and minimal digital work is done in post-processing.