While much of the country is staying indoors lamenting the sub-zero temperatures, artist Angela Kelly decided to take advantage of the extremely cold temperatures and experiment with freezing and photographing bubbles. Kelly and her seven-year-old son Conner made a batch of bubbles, bundled up, and went outside to have some fun.
Taking the Photographs
Kelly and her son live in Arlington, Texas. When the photographs were taken, the temperatures were between nine and sixteen degrees. Kelly said that they alternated the placement of the bubbles to investigate different results. Bubbles placed in shady areas tended to freeze completely through, resulting in icy spheres. Bubbles placed in sunny areas only froze partially, making for different shapes and textures. Kelly and her son used surfaces such as a car windshield and a patio table to create and photograph the frozen bubbles on.
The freezing of the bubbles allowed the evanescent bubbles to be preserved and viewed in an unusual way. Freezing them allowed the colors and textures to be seen for a greater length of time and in more exacting detail than is typically possible. Set on crystalline surfaces and taken in extreme close-up, the results are stunning.
Meaning behind the Experiment
Kelly says that she did the experiment as a reminder to slow down and appreciate the little things. Kelly hopes that by sharing her photographs, she will encourage people to look for the beauty around them and to share that love with their children.