I am certain that almost  everyone has heard the classic, old phrase that “a watched pot never boils.” That always seems to be the case when you are in a hurry and hungry. Yet, when you stand there patiently and watch the microscopic pockets of air begin to form on the bottom of the vessel, have you ever paused to wonder what was happening just before the water erupts? Diving into abstract water bubbles photography gives us a unique opportunity to answer that question, proving that anything around the house is fair game for an imaginative mind willing to look closer.

On December 16, 2016, while standing in my kitchen back when I lived in the Pine Valley Estates just outside of Apollo, Pennsylvania, I decided to turn a routine kitchen task into a purely abstract artistic experiment.

Freezing a Chaotic Culinary Phase

I had closely watched the fascinating process of water transforming from its cold, stable content through to its chaotic boiling point. I became so captivated by the fluid dynamics that I grabbed my Nikon D3100 camera determined to document the shifting phases of the liquid. Looking down at the pot from directly above, this specific image captures the water at a critical threshold, just as the dense patterns of bubbles formed across the surface.

To freeze the rapid motion, I made the rare choice to activate the camera’s built-in flash., Some photographers would call me crazy for utilizing a direct on-camera flash over a hot stove, but I was intensely curious to see how the exposure would turn out. Furthermore, I was deeply afraid that the rising, hot steam would instantly fog my lens and ruin the shots. Thankfully, that was not the case at all. Instead, the flash perfectly pierced the vapor, resulting in several incredibly clear, well-documented photos that I instantly liked.

The Spectacle Inside the Liquid

When you slow down to observe this everyday abstract water bubbles photography phenomenon, the science behind the art becomes beautiful. Scientifically, the solubility of gases decreases when the temperature is raised, and that is what pushes the dissolved air bubbles out from the water first. Then, as the boiling point of water is reached (100 degrees Celsius or 212 degrees Fahrenheit), water vapor starts to form inside the liquid in the form of rapidly rising spheres.

Consequently, it is incredibly interesting to watch this fluid process unfold just before the water actually boils. As the bubbles begin to dance, forcing the trapped gases to the surface of the pot, they form some of the most spectacular, mesmerizing patterns one can imagine. The eye can trace uniform rows, concentric circles, and the unique way the intense light is reflected inside the tiny glass-like domes as they ebb and flow across the metal basin.

Ultimately, this style of image-making proves that photography does not always have to be straightforward. Next time you ae standing there waiting for the water in your pot to boil, take the time to watch this incredible phenomenon. You will be absolutely amazed at what you see, and remember, these organic patterns will never be repeated from pot to pot. For an added bit of interesting fun, add just a drop of food coloring to the pot and watch how the currents interact with it.

Rob – Perspective Photographer