Do Yourself a Favor

blow some bubbles! trust me, bubbles are for everyone in every season

Soap bubble photography, and especially frozen soap bubble photography, is kind of a trendy little niche for photographers. I mean, it’s got so much room for creativity, so much variety, so much inherent fun, that it makes for a lot of great images. You can find endless tutorials for mixing solutions and setting up shots, but honestly I feel like that kind of misses the point…

Blowing bubbles is SO MUCH FUN! No matter what false narratives might have been planted in your subconscious by humorless subversives, bubbles are not just for kids, they’re not just for backyards, and they’re not just for summer! They’re actually amazing vessels for connecting, in nature and everyday life.

When winter temperatures drop down into the teens, bubbles enter into one of my favorite elements. A bubble blown into very cold air will freeze before your eyes, and you’ll never get tired of watching it!

They don’t freeze all at once. The icy formations start at a point and crystallize across the surface, branch by branch, and though the moment does unfold quickly, you can see it in detail from start to finish. It’s a delicately beautiful process, and no two bubbles are ever the same.

We live in the forest, and I am endlessly captivated by the way our bubbles mimic the leafy patterns of tree and fern, as the bubbles seem to draw inspiration from their surroundings just like I do.¹

And they fail in the most fascinating ways. When they’re floating in the air, they occasionally spontaneously explode into a sparkling mini-blizzard. Which usually prompts squeals and giggles. And, of course, some crash on landing. Which usually prompts gasping oh-nos and mitten-muffled laughter.

When they settle perfectly on some resting place, you can witness a more gradual passing. They are, for a moment, a perfect crystal sphere. But the forces of air pressure are never at rest, and so the fragile bubbles are bound to collapse in some form of crystal ballet implosion. It usually begins with a dent, followed by bizarre crumplings, culminating in the most improbable shard sculptures.

But frozen bubbles are not the only fantastic bubbles. Bubbles are truly an all-season entertainment. Imagine a little spot in the forest, by a pebbly stream, after a spring drizzle or an autumn fog. Everything is a bit damp and sparkling - a perfect environment for bubbles! They drape themselves across every surface, float gently on the breeze, or settle in amongst golden ripples to be meandered away into their own forest adventures. Draw near to watch the swirling colors mesmerizingly stir the shadows of the world around you until they lose cohesion and burst into thin air. Then go find another one to watch!

And of course, though they’re not just for summer, bubbles are indisputably for summer. This particular summer bubble moment is tucked away in my heart where all sweet-children-moments settle, unique for their simplicity and purity and undimmed light.

We were at the pool on a summer day, kids splashing as parents lounged along the margins. A young girl, about the same age as my daughter, approached an empty picnic table nearby, a toy in her hand and a younger brother in tow. As they set the toy up on the table, I realized it was a bubble machine. They turned it on, and colorful bubbles began to drift among summer sunshine, blue skies, splashing fun, blissful loungers, effortlessly weaving together the previously-disparate elements of an iconic summer day. “Genius!” I smile-muttered, as I uncoiled out of lethargy and let my husband know I was going to take some pictures.

“Hi guys!” I said brightly. “What a perfect idea! Mind if I take some photos?” They looked at each other and exchanged a few short words in French before the little girl nodded and smiled at me. I smiled back, grateful that bubbles are a universal language, and took a few quick snaps of summer bubbles, floating by beach umbrellas, set adrift by pure joy.

I thanked them, and we smiled and giggled, and I went back to my lounger, and they carried their bubbles away to one perfect spot after another. I noted, lazily, drowsily, contentedly, the magic of bubbles to connect on all the levels.

The thing about bubbles is that it’s hard to catch a perfect shot. Hence, the many, many tutorials about formulas and set ups. But it’s ridiculously easy to catch bubbly moments! It’s wildly easy to catch bubbly memories! It’s endlessly easy to catch bubbly fun - it is runaway contagious!

So sure, take pictures if you want to, but seriously, just blow a bunch of bubbles and prepare to be amazed. Catch the giggles, catch the excitement, catch the sheer, unadulterated delight of just watching what happens as bubbles interact with the world around you. It’s so very simple, yet somehow always surprising, somehow always connecting.

So wherever you’re headed, just do yourself a favor and take the bubbles with you. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.

¹This, of course, is more a matter of the composition of the bubble formula, and using different bubble solutions would likely produce different crystal formations - (hence the many, many tutorials, etc.) - but I personally just enjoy the metaphor!

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