Bubble photography was something I thought other people did. You know, people with studio set-ups and all the equipment? But it turns out I was wrong and that most people can create an inexpensive bubble photography set-up at home.
I watched several videos on the subject, but each one featured a lightbox as a diffuser – something I don’t possess – and a remote flash – something I also do not possess… So I improvised and it worked!
It did help that a few months back I managed to get my hands on the lens of my dreams. Okay, there are many lenses that I dream of owning (don’t we all?), but this beauty is one I had my heart set on. It took me two years of saving and waiting to get my hands on a second hand one (they are no longer made) and I am well and truly smitten… I can hear you mumbling “sooooo what’s the lens?”… Drum roll, please!…
The lens of which I speak is the Sigma 150mm, 2.8, the optical stabiliser version macro lens. It is a beast of a lens, but it’s also a beauty.
Before we start take a look at the photos. I admit to getting quite giddy and squealing with delight when I first saw them (you may have heard?). Mainly because they were photos that other people take and not me. There is definitely room for improvement, but one of the joys of photography is the constant learning and experimenting.
Bubble Photographs Taken Using An Inexpensive Set-Up
This inverted bubble is possibly my favourite. The bubble was sat on a mirror which seemingly illuminated it from inside.
The above bubble was on the verge of bursting just before I took this photo. Notice how this the bubble looks?
Next time I must pay closer attention to reflection. The arch of the balcony behind me is clearly visible in this bubble.
If you look closely at the above bubble I swear you can see a colourful wizard with a pink beard… My kind of beard!
Which is your favourite bubble?
How To Create An Inexpensive Bubble Photography Set-Up
Light is important for this project, I used bright natural light.
Our house may have plenty of windows but it’s not particularly bright, so I set-up on our balcony, but I’m sure the garden would have been just as good.
What You’ll Need…
- A table
- 2 chairs with backs a few inches higher than the tabletop
- 1 large white sheet or something similar to diffuse the light
- A blackboard
- A few clothes pegs
If the chairs don’t push right under the table just turn them around as I did. And position the blackboards to sit in the background.
Drape the sheet over the chairs and blackboard and use the pegs to hold it in place.
Hey Presto! With a little creativity and no cost, you have yourself an inexpensive bubble photography set-up!
Creating Bubbles For Your Bubble Photography Project
You will need:
- Liquid dish soap
- Glycerine Can be bought cheaply in supermarkets in some countries. Not in Greece though, I got mine in the chemist.
- Water
- A saucer or some other shallow dish
- A straw
- Mix approximately 2/3rds liquid dish soap to 1/3 water.
- Add a few drops of glycerine to thicken the solution.
- Test the solution and adjust if need be.
- I found an upturned saucer to be the easiest utensil for creating and holding the bubbles. It doesn’t have to be a saucer, try anything you have at hand, but I did find that the deeper the utensil the more difficult it was to create a bubble that stayed. With some patience, I managed to blow some bubble onto a mirror which added an internal light to the bubble (see the inverted bubble in the photos above).
- Dip the end of the straw into the soapy mix.
- Place the end of the straw into the soap in the base of the saucer and gently blow until you get the bubble you want and carefully whip away the straw.
- The bubble should stay for a few minutes giving you plenty of time to take a photo or ten!
Handy Tips
- Watch for reflections from behind you.
- If you don’t have a remote shutter trigger use the delay shutter timer on your camera to minimise camera shake.
- Any breeze on the bubble will create a noticeable shake in your photo, so try this on a calm day if you are setting up outside.
Have you tried bubble photography before? What set-up did you use?
© 2020, Debbie. All rights reserved.
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