Bubbles make me smile.

So do bubble-covered babies.

But photographing bubbles? Not so much.

This week’s challenge was a bit of a…well…challenge. A bubble’s transparency, thin film and short shelf life make them difficult subjects to photograph, but with a few tips you’ll be well on your way to capturing great images.

Bubble Photography Tips

While shots of bubble-blowing children are great, consider shooting bubbles in non-traditional ways too. Resting on grass. Floating on water. Or on an antique dish.

If you’re photographing outdoors, take care to shoot when the sun isn’t at its harshest – preferably during the early morning or shortly before the sun sets. If you choose to shoot indoors, use a dark matte background and a diffused light source.

Shooting when the air is still is ideal.

A windy day can complicate your shoot, but gentle breezes often create amazing effects.

Bubbles produce amazing reflections. Keep that in mind when choosing your location. Nothing ruins an otherwise decent bubble shot like your back deck and tiki torches staring back at you in a bubble’s reflection.

Employ some help. Bubble machines and bubble-blowing assistants supply an endless amount of bubbles so you’re free to click-click-click away. Unless, of course, your bubble-blowing assistant falls asleep on the job.

Photographing bubbles outdoors can be so much fun and the possibilities are truly endless! If you’re looking for a few great tips on photographing bubbles indoors, photographer Richard Heeks’ video tutorial is a great resource.

And if you’re looking to get even more creative with bubble photography, you might want to try your hand at photographing oil bubbles floating on water. It’s incredibly challenging to say the least. Though my shots are quite what I had in mind, I thought I’d share them with you anyway.

These oil bubble shots certainly aren’t my best work. I’m learning as I go, just like many of you. If enough interest is expressed in learning how I captured these shots, I’d be happy to share the entire process with you all in a future post. I’m not an expert, but I believe in sharing and learning from each other.

Speaking of learning and sharing, be sure to stop by my co-host Alicia’s place, Project Alicia. She always has amazing photos and great tips to share.

…………………….

I’m thrilled to be teaming up with the fabulous Alicia of Project Alicia for the Crazy Days of Summer Photo Challenge – a super fun weekly summer photography meme aimed at capturing the lazy crazy days of summer, complete with inspirational themes. We’d love for you to grab your camera and join in the fun!

Here’s what you need to know:

Share your favorite images inspired by the Crazy Days of Summer theme-of-the-week and grab our sweet button while you’re at it!

Please share your photos with others by linking directly to your Crazy Days of Summer blog post or Flickr photo, not your blog’s home page or Flickr Photostream. Feel free to share your photos in our Crazy Days of Summer Flickr Group as well.

The linky will remain open from 12:00am Friday – 11:59pm Wednesday.

Make a few new friends by visiting and commenting on the previous entry in the linky list.

Each Thursday, a few of our favorite images from the Crazy Days of Summer Photo Challenge will be selected and featured at Project Alicia and Live and Love Out Loud.

Next week’s theme will be summer treats. For a complete list of upcoming themes, head on over to the Summer Photo Challenge page.

August

Week 10, August 5th – Summer Treats
Week 11, August 12th – Fun with Friends
Week 12, August 19th – Blue Skies
Week 13, August 26th – Sweet Summer Finale

Alicia and I are so excited about sharing our crazy days of summer with you and can’t wait to see your photos. Don’t forget to stop by Alicia’s blog, (Project Alicia), after linking up here at Live and Love Out Loud. Her photography is amazing!

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