How to Photograph Oil on Water: Creating Colorful Abstract Backgrounds

Photographing oil on water is a simple way to create colorful abstract backgrounds. For this series I used a glass baking dish, water, a few drops of oil and sheets of colored paper. Two lights and a camera fitted with extension tubes let me explore tiny areas of the water’s surface and turn them into compositions of color.

In this experiment, most of what you see in the finished photograph takes shape in front of the lens. Moving a sheet of paper, changing the framing or finding a different arrangement of droplets is enough to create another composition.

The idea behind the colorful backgrounds

I wanted to make photographs about color and shape without clearly depicting a particular object. On the surface of the water, the oil forms rounded, irregular shapes. At high magnification, those shapes become the subject.

Sheets of colored paper beneath the dish provide the background. These everyday materials produce abstract patterns that can work as wallpapers or as elements in a graphic design.

How I set up the shot

I started with a glass baking dish filled with water and a few drops of oil. Underneath it I placed sheets of colored paper.

I lit the scene with two lights angled in from the sides. I set one stronger than the other. This let me experiment with where the light fell instead of lighting the entire scene to the same intensity.

If you try this setup, start with a clean dish. At high magnification, tiny specks and stray bubbles can become prominent features. Check the frame for unwanted reflections from the lights as well.

Extension tubes and close focusing

I fitted extension tubes between the camera and the lens. The tubes move the lens farther from the sensor, allowing it to focus closer and achieve greater magnification. They contain no optical elements of their own.

In my setup, the front of the lens was very close to the water. A small patch of its surface filled the frame, leaving the edges of the dish outside the composition.

The working distance depends on your lens and the tubes you use. When trying this yourself, leave enough clearance to keep the equipment out of the water.

Camera settings

I photographed this series with a Canon EOS 6D. The photographs in the album have the following settings:

These were the settings for this particular shoot. For your own setup, adjust the exposure to suit the light and choose an aperture that gives the droplets and the background the appearance you want.

At high magnification the depth of field is shallow. Even a slight change in the distance between the camera and the surface of the water can shift the focus. Check a magnified view, especially around the edges of the droplets you want to emphasize.

Building the composition

You can leave most of the dish outside the frame. A single circle, a cluster of tiny droplets or one large shape next to several smaller ones can make a more interesting photograph.

Look at the space between the droplets as well as the droplets themselves. That space helps organize the frame and makes the main subject easier to pick out.

Try changing one element at a time. First, keep the framing and move the paper underneath the dish. Then keep the colors in place and look for a different arrangement of droplets. This makes it easier to see what changes the finished image.

Color and light

The paper beneath the dish plays an important part in the photograph. Its position determines which colors appear behind each droplet and where one color gives way to another.

Start with a small palette. Two distinctly different colors can make a clearer composition than a scattering of unrelated shades.

Judge the light and the color together. A strong reflection can draw attention away from a delicate shape, and an overly bright area can lose detail. Take a test shot and check the highlights before shooting the whole series.

Common difficulties

Focus misses the subject. At close range it is easy to focus just in front of or behind a droplet. Keep the camera steady and check the magnified preview.

Too many elements in the frame. Some arrangements of droplets work better than others. Try framing a smaller area and choosing one dominant shape.

Unwanted reflections. Changing the angle of the lights can reduce reflections that obscure the colors or the edges of the droplets.

Stray specks. Particles that escape notice when you look at the dish can stand out in the photograph. Careful preparation helps keep them out of the shot.

Processing in Lightroom

I processed the photographs in Adobe Lightroom. The effect itself came from the composition at the time of shooting: oil droplets on water, colored paper beneath the glass dish and light from two lamps.

When choosing photographs for a series like this, look at how they work together. The colors and arrangements can vary from frame to frame while the images still feel like part of the same set.

From experiment to finished background

An abstract photograph can stand on its own or serve as a background for text or other design elements. For that second use, quieter areas of the composition give lettering room to remain legible.

It is worth making both frames filled with droplets and simpler images with more open space. The same materials can produce either result.

Explore the full series

In the Colorful Backgrounds album, I show the photographs made using this method. Explore how the arrangement of droplets, the colors and the framing change the character of the finished image.

Photography and setup: Dariusz Kiełtyka — FotoKieltyka.pl.