The Artist

Michael Melgar is a practicing physician who lives in New York with his wife and children. Having a professional photographer for a father with a dark room in the basement, and a love of science, he grew up with a camera in one hand and a microscope in the other. Eventually science won out and photography had to take a back seat. That is, until recently.

Having kids around is a great way for getting  back into photography. They provide endless opportunities for fun shots and creativity. They're always moving and creating great action. Their faces are so expressive. Unfortunately kids grow up, and don't like the camera pointed at them as much so I started looking for other things to photograph. I had gotten a new camera in the dead of winter. I was looking around for something to take pictures of but the weather in these parts was pretty grey and gloomy at the time. I couldn't do much to control the weather so I decided to try something I thought I had complete control over. That's when the idea for the droplet photography occurred to me.

My first photos like this one, were pretty crude and not much to look at

but with a lot of perseverance, some advice from more knowledgeable people, and a bit of luck I improved. The real breakthrough for me came on the day I took this picture.

Although it wasn't perfect, the colors were stunning and it inspired me to keep working on this type of photography. Since that time I have experimented with many different lighting arrangements and colors to create a wide variety of moods with these images. Some are bright and cheery others dark and moody. While my original intent was to find a subject I could control, I have found that water and light are anything but easy to control. Even the slightest change in the setup can have dramatic effects on the outcome. The downside is that any given series is nearly impossible to reproduce exactly once the setup is changed. The exciting part is that every change brings about new possibilities.

I hope you enjoy these photos. Please feel free to browse the galleries