Behind the Scenes: The Shower Gel Splash Effect

For this shoot I wanted to create something bold and dynamic using water. The idea was to capture cosmetic products in mid splash, with all the energy of water frozen around them, and then bring it together into a clean, commercial image.

To achieve this, I set up a large fish tank in the studio and experimented with dropping different products into it. I used Radox and Lynx shower gels, fixing them to acrylic sheets with heavy duty fish tank sealant so they could be lowered and dropped quickly into the water. Each drop created a different splash, so I repeated the process again and again, photographing every variation and building up a collection of strong water effects.

Once I had the splashes, I emptied and cleaned the tank completely to avoid watermarks, then photographed the products on their own in a clean, dry setup. That gave me the sharp, clear product images I needed for the final composition.

The real work came in post production. I spent time sketching out possible layouts and experimenting in Photoshop, combining the best splashes from different shots into one dynamic composition. I also drew in a swimming pool environment digitally, using the water textures I had captured to make the scene feel believable. Finally, I layered the clean product shot over the top so the branding remained crisp, with space around it to overlay text.

It took a huge amount of planning, trial and error, and detailed retouching, but the end result was exactly what I had pictured: a vibrant, energetic image that balanced chaos and clarity, with the product standing out against the motion of the water.