How To Capture Amazing Frozen Soap Bubbles

On this DPR video Canadian photographer, Don Komarechka shows how he creates some really stunning frozen soap bubbles at home and what do you need to do in order to try and do the same.

So you are home and want to take some creative shots without doing anything too complex, well, Komarechka has an interesting idea for you – why not mix some water, dish soap and white corn syrup (which causes the bubbles to thicken so they won’t pop when they touch the snow/ice).

Shooting frozen soap bubbles isn’t difficult but there are a few important tips that Komarechka has to share that can help you get the most out of this fun little project (especially great if you are in a freezing cold environment and can’t really go anywhere). The proportions of the water, dish soap, and corn syrup are 6/3/1 accordingly but you can, of course, play with these and see what you are getting.

Although shooting outside makes sense (it’s cold and you want to shoot snowflakes and not melted snowflakes), keep in mind that if there is even a little bit of wind – it can cause issues with your shot so you need to be a little bit creative to find a way to keep the temperatures as low as possible but prevent wind from blowing your soap bubbles,

Next, you have a to create your bubble (use a drinking straw) and background – think about using either a flashlight or some directional light and maybe some colored gels (Komarechka used a CD cover and a polarizing film on both sides (in an opposite way) which will create some cool colors on your subject matter.

Use manual focus (AF will typically focus on the back of the bubble) and Komarechka suggests shooting manually (shot with higher shutter speed and if possible use a stabilizer if your camera/lens has it). Tripod should be an option but you might need to move it quite a bit to get the desired angle you want.

More things to consider include different surfaces (snow is just one option) and possibly some other small objects in the frame (insects maybe/small figures etc.) to make your composition more interesting.

You can find more of Komarechka’s videos here on LensVid. You can find many more helpful photography tips on our Photography tips section.

Iddo Genuth

Iddo Genuth is the founder and chief editor of LensVid.com. He has been a technology reporter working for international publications since the late 1990's and covering photography since 2009. Iddo is also a co-founder of a production company specializing in commercial food and product visual content.