Bubble World on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Pentax K-7 with Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-f/4.5 @ 70mm, f/7.1, 1/250th, ISO 100.
A friend suggested I come post this here. It looks like a great forum and this is my first post.
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What I learned in the process is you want to use AF-C (or your cameras continuous focus mode) with all focus points selected. The bubble itself doesn't have very strong contrast, so you will probably need some good reflections to help the camera lock focus on the bubble.
You need big bubbles. This bubble was about 8" in diameter. Search google for "Big Bubble Solution" and you should find some stuff that will work. Most big bubble solutions contain a mix of soap, glycerin, and water. The bubble solution in the colored jugs most of us used as kids does not hold up well for big bubbles. This was a purchased bubble solution that came in a 12" by 1" cylinder with a large wand for making the bubbles.
Close is best. The reflection on the bubble takes on a more interesting perspective when you get up close and personal with it. A close focusing "macro" zoom is ideal. I used the Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-f/4.5 and it worked out well with its ability to focus right up next to the lens surface, but anything with a minimum focus around 1 to 2 ft should be fine.
When shooting the bubbles, I set to continuous shutter release, and follow after the bubble trying to keep it in focus. Tricky backgrounds will sometimes trick the camera to focus on them instead. Just release the shutter button and try focusing again. Obviously wind is not conducive to catching a good bubble shot. Every time a gust hit my bubbles were gone.
The bubble primarily reflects what is behind the photographer, and thankfully, the photographer gets mostly cut off at the center. It seems to use a fisheye like projection, with a mirror image in both hemispheres, especially visible if the sky is much brighter than the ground. If the sky was darker the image might look a bit more like a circular fisheye, I would think.
You need to photograph the bubble as quickly as possible when it comes out of the wand, it has the most oil visible at this time. Within a few seconds most of the oil drips down to the bottom and bubble becomes clear. In the series where I captured the above bubble, the first 3 or 4 look pretty good, but they get progressively less interesting.
The bubbles have low contrast, so use Lightroom (or equivalent) to up the contrast and really make the bubble "pop". Add a bit of vignetting to darken up the background. I also found using a -0.7 EV compensation helped prevent blown highlights in the bubble, and up exposure in post processing.
So get out there, and try some of your own bubble shots. Try various bubble solutions, and different locations. I want to try one downtown by some tall buildings and surrounded by fire. Go have some fun capturing your own little fragile worlds. It helps to have an assistant to make the bubbles for you.
Thanks for looking, and I look forward to reading all the great tutorials on here.
Eric
See my Blog at:
Behind the Glass Eye (7/20/09)
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