Bit of the Bubbly

[Brownbear]

Hi Terry,

Thank you for sharing. Yes, very different but nevertheless your advice is helpful.

It wasn't my bubble machine so I'm going to purchase one of those round thingies and some quality soap, and see what I can capture. I will tuck away your bubble within a bubble technique in the back of my mind for future. Sounds like a lot of fun!

[Mike Buckley]

I just now opened my folder containing ideas for studio photography saved from past magazines and realized I had forgotten about a photo that is very similar to Terry's photo. It displays a large bubble with its edges brightly lit with blue tones against a dark tabletop and background, though it's not as clever in my mind because Terry's photo involves so many interesting bubbles.

The photographer is Faye Berber. She used the liquid soap called Miracle Bubbles, a tabletop made of textured metal (an aluminum knife case), a pair of LED flashlights aimed almost at each other at "about a 60-degree angle to the camera, the other at about 120 degrees," and a 22-inch circular reflector as the background. Total cost of soap, flashlights and reflector at the time: $67.60. The article was in the September 2012 edition of Popular Photography, so it may be available online.

[IzzieK]

Christina, when and if you use the normal liquid soap to make bubbles all you have to do to make it bigger and last longer is to thicken it more than the usual thinning you use as a dishwasher and you got it made. With a bigger hole as a bubble enabler like that of a child's toy, it is more exciting and you can easily photograph it way before it burst.

Hi Terry,

Thank you for sharing. Yes, very different but nevertheless your advice is helpful.

It wasn't my bubble machine so I'm going to purchase one of those round thingies and some quality soap, and see what I can capture. I will tuck away your bubble within a bubble technique in the back of my mind for future. Sounds like a lot of fun!

[Brownbear]

Thank you for sharing Mike... I also prefer the interesting bubbles of Terry's image.

FYI Here is the link describing the process Faye Berber used.

http://www.popphoto.com/how-to/2012/...scent-subjects

Izzie...

Thank you. Truly appreciated. I visited the toy store today and they are all out of bubble makers and soap! It'll be a few weeks until it is in stock again but I'm going to try another shop someday next week. This morning with bubbles on my mind, I created a mountain of bubbles in the kitchen sink (dish soap), tried to mold the mountain into a more aesthetically appealing shape (not easy) and loaded the bubbles into the freezer. The soap bubbles did indeed freeze. It was too dark to photograph them in the freezer so I moved my bubble mountain onto a piece of glass by the window. By the time I managed a shot the bubbles were long gone! The next time around I will ensure that I have a bubble enabler (large size) and revisit my original spot by the ocean... The bubbles float slowly through the air before they disappear into the ocean which allows for far more time than the freezer set-up.

[Loose Canon]

This morning with bubbles on my mind, I created a mountain of bubbles in the kitchen sink (dish soap), tried to mold the mountain into a more aesthetically appealing shape (not easy) and loaded the bubbles into the freezer. The soap bubbles did indeed freeze. It was too dark to photograph them in the freezer so I moved my bubble mountain onto a piece of glass by the window. By the time I managed a shot the bubbles were long gone! The next time around I will ensure that I have a bubble enabler (large size) and revisit my original spot by the ocean... The bubbles float slowly through the air before they disappear into the ocean which allows for far more time than the freezer set-up.

Okay wait! This is brilliant!

How did you get the bubble shape into the freezer Christina? On a surface?

You are in Canada and I know this could be done outdoors. That’s where I did mine (in below freezing temps).

The bubbles I blew in freezing temps outside broke at some point. But could have been a wind gust. That they froze in the freezer and you could move them is awesome!

I never really intended to get this deep in this, but I may have what little adult in me re-think the Child in me! Whereas its usually the other way around!

Can’t believe I’m leaving my camera gear for a couple of weeks! It is incredible where inspiration for cool shots can come from Christina!

Again, you are my Hero!

(Wifey-Poo has my Power of Attorney! I hope she doesn’t have me committed for the ideas that are coming to mind!)

[Brownbear]

Hi Terry,

You're truly too, funny!

I filled up the kitchen sink with soap bubbles using dish soap and just ran the water creating as many bubbles as I could (lots!). In hindsight perhaps using a luxury bubble bath (Wifey-poo's) would produce larger, finer bubbles. I had a mess of tiny bubbles with a couple of larger bubbles on top.

I used a plastic pancake flipper to scoop the bubbles out of the sink and loading them into the freezer. (a mountain of bubbles) (into an emptied refrigerator freezer set as cold as it is capable of). I think the base of the freezer is made of some type of hard plastic. The smaller soap bubbles felt like snow when frozen. It was not until that I took the frozen bubbles out of the freezer and placed them on a piece of glass that everything melted away with amazing speed.

So perhaps the large bubbles have to rest on smaller bubbles for safe transport?

[Loose Canon]

Awesome Christina!

What I am thinking is get the bubble wad onto a pre-frozen surface (the outdoors theory). Any heat transfer is going to melt them super fast. Everything on the set must be frozen in advance, including my hind end!

Might be a tricky transfer, but might be way cool to do on a cold day!

Um, please don’t tell but I used the last of Wifey-Poo’s luxury bubble bath the other night!

I blamed it on the dogs!

[Brownbear]

Sounds like a wonderful plan! And I'm very much looking forward to seeing your creation once you have time to revisit this project.

If I were you I would replace that bottle of luxury bubble bath with another bottle, preferably in a larger size, soon! There is nothing like the wrath of a hard working woman who is looking forward to a long luxurious soak with her favourite bubble bath. I suspect that blaming it on the dogs might cause more trouble... ie... The best choice for bathing the family dogs... Bar soap or your wife's special bubble bath?

Awesome Christina!

What I am thinking is get the bubble wad onto a pre-frozen surface (the outdoors theory). Any heat transfer is going to melt them super fast. Everything on the set must be frozen in advance, including my hind end!

Might be a tricky transfer, but might be way cool to do on a cold day!

Um, please don’t tell but I used the last of Wifey-Poo’s luxury bubble bath the other night!

I blamed it on the dogs!

[bnnrcn]

I loved the image Terry. As Mike mentioned it reminds a big igloo. Very nice color and light.