WONDERFUL MAGICAL FROZEN BUBBLES

We love bubbles! They are beautiful to behold -- delicate, ephemeral, and light -- their hollow transparent forms barely able to be. Frozen bubbles are all the more fascinating. Today we get to see them through the eyes of photographer Angela Kelly and filmmakers Leila and Damien de Blinkk.

ANGELA KELLY

Washington-based photographer Angela Kelly set out to play with her 7-year-old son, Kelly, one extra-cold winter’s day. They mixed up a concoction of dish soap, corn syrup, and water and went outside to blow bubbles and take photos.

As the bubbles froze and melted they saw beautiful patterns form on their surfaces.

Small bubbles froze quickly in midair before falling to the ground and smashing into icy shards. Larger bubbles froze more slowly, allowing Kelly to capture their images.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, warming their air as the day unfolded, the bubbles began to deflate and implode after they formed, creating different kinds of spectacular shapes.

See more on Angela Kelly’s website.  

LEILA & DAMIEN DE BLINKK

In yet another work of frozen bubble art, filmmakers Leila and Damien de Blinkk, caught bubbles as they hit the frigid air of a Canadian forest and crystallized -- all captured in super high definition and in slow motion in this incredible new video.

The De Blinkks filmed in 4K HD resolution, which is 4 times greater than standard high definition, using a series of 4K cameras that were positioned to capture the bubbles at key angles. The project was commissioned by Sony to promote its new line of 4K Ultra HD Televisions. 

The 4K filming process lets us see what we could never see before -- and it’s magical! Watch as the bubble freezes in mid air in slow motion. You can see the thin layer of ice as it crystallizes and forms a thin coating, watching it spread around the bubble. 

Glycerin, C3H5(OH)3, was used to make the bubble last longer. It forms hydrogen bonds with water to slow down evaporation. The water layer freezes first, followed by the soap layer, so the bubble is structurally strong and more durable. This also makes the bubbles more visible.  

Different shapes appear in the ice crystal structures -- a star, flower, and feather shapes form and grow on the icy outer shell of the hollow sphere.

Watch even more beauty happen when the bubbles fall to the ground and shatter.

No special effects or editing were added to the bubbles, and the films were shot in real-time before being slowed down.

Glycerin, C3H5(OH)3, was used to make the bubble last longer. It forms hydrogen bonds with water to slow down evaporation. The water layer freezes first, followed by the soap layer, so the bubble is structurally strong and more durable. This also makes the bubbles more visible.  

Different shapes appear in the ice crystal structures -- a star, flower, and feather shapes form and grow on the icy outer shell of the hollow sphere.

Watch even more beauty happen when the bubbles fall to the ground and shatter.

No special effects or editing were added to the bubbles, and the films were shot in real-time before being slowed down.

Rocket scientist, explorer, and champion for women in engineering Natalie Panek shares her recipe and images with us.

FROZEN BUBBLE RECIPE

• 2 Parts Bubble solution (liquid dish soap + water)
• 1 Part corn syrup
• 1 Part hot water, mixed with the corn syrup, then cooled

Mix well. Blow bubbles in air temperatures below 12 degrees Fahrenheit.

I’M FOREVER BLOWING BUBBLES

– Burr and Campbell

PHOTO CREDITS:

1. Photo: by Angela Kelly. Frozen Bubbles.
2. Photo: by Angela Kelly. Frozen Bubbles.
3. Photo: by Angela Kelly. Frozen Bubbles.
4. Photo: by Angela Kelly. Frozen Bubbles.
5. Photo: Courtesy of Sony. Image by Leila & Damien de Blinkk. Frozen Bubbles.
6. Photo: Courtesy of Sony. Image by Leila & Damien de Blinkk. Frozen Bubbles.
7. Photo: Courtesy of Sony. Image by Leila & Damien de Blinkk. Frozen Bubbles.
8. Photo: Courtesy of Sony. Image by Leila & Damien de Blinkk. Frozen Bubbles.
9. Photo: Courtesy of Sony. Image by Leila & Damien de Blinkk. Frozen Bubbles.
10. Photo: Courtesy of Sony. Image by Leila & Damien de Blinkk. Frozen Bubbles.
11. Video: Courtesy of Sony Europe via Youtube. Sony 4K Ultra HD TV - Ice Bubbles in 4K.
12. Photo: by Natalie Panek. Frozen Bubble.
13. Photo: by Angela Kelly. Frozen Bubbles.
14. Photo: by Angela Kelly. Frozen Bubbles.
15. Photo: by Angela Kelly. Frozen Bubbles.