This “Beyond The Lens” article will explore creative photography with soap and water. Soap and water photography is an easy technique that can produce some wildly creative results. The images produced can be used to create great looking wall art, computer screen backgrounds and interesting textures that can be used to create other pieces of art.
Besides a camera and optional tripod, you will need lights, container, water, dish soap, and a background. Most of these materials you may already have in your home. Here is a list of some options you can use to create your fantastic works of art:
Lighting:
· One or two speedlights with remote triggers.
· Continuous lights or work lamps can be used.
· Optional colored gels can be used to color the lights.
Clear bottom container:
· Flat bottom Pyrex type dish (ideally with no branding).
· Petri dish (can be ordered on Amazon).
· Clear plastic or glass container.
· Some type of support for your container, such as a couple of small boxes, books, etc. can be used
Liquids:
· Water
· Dishwashing Liquid
· Food Coloring (optional)
· Eye-dropper or straw to blow bubbles into the liquids
Backgrounds:
· White poster board
· Colored paper
· Gift wrapping paper
· Magazines
· Any paper or item that has a bold color or design.
The basic concept is simple. Support the clear bottom container between two supports so that the lights can illuminate the soap bubbles from below. Experiment with light placement to vary your results. Try lighting a white background with color gels or if you don’t have color gels, add food color to the water and dish soap mixture to vary the color. A tripod that will allow you to shoot straight down is recommended. You can shoot hand-held if your shutter speed settings allow. Use the eye-dropper or straw to blow bubbles into the dish-soap and water mixture, experiment with bubble placement.
Soap and Water Photography is a fun, easy and creative technique to try!!!