At ARCNL, we have built a picosecond Nd:YAG laser system with a pulse duration tunable between 15 and 110 ps, delivering up to 175 mJ at 100 Hz repetition rate. Furthermore, we have set up an OPCPA pumped by this ps laser, which provides 220 fs pulses at 1.5 μ m wavelength and up to 12.5 mJ energy. These systems were used to produce tin plasmas from a solid flat target as well as liquid micro-droplets, with the goal of understanding ion emission from laser-produced plasmas (LPP), ablation dynamics and laser-induced droplet deformation.