Solar Flares on Planet Soap Bubble (SOOC)
© R Heeks 2010. Strictly no use without permission.
There is no editing at all here, just a crop (SOOC = Straight Out Of Camera). That incandescent spot is from the sun (don't ask me how or why - I'm no scientist), and god knows where the coloured spots come from. I love them all though, even that comet flying in at the top.
I got up early this morning to take this, as the air was so still. I used manual settings to get the exposure right, and I was very glad to use a low ISO, for a change.
I'm getting a lot of satisfaction from taking these shots. I think this one is so beautiful. It reminds me of Kubrick's 2001 Space Odyssey. I especially love the boundary layer to the bubble, and how the corona flare breaks through it, almost like a sun rising behind a planet.
There's nothing remotely artificial about this shot either. That dark background is simply the shade of my hedge - very dark because it's underexposed compared to the outrageous brightness of the bubble. This is not a studio shot - all natural!
If anyone wants to try this, please please please be CAREFUL OF YOUR EYES. I'm no expert here, but I imagine you could burn your retina by staring at these flares through a viewfinder.
And if anyone can explain to me how these effects happen, what they are etc, then I'd be pleased to know.
Comments and faves
人造人間，意慾蔓延, www.matthewhartphotography.com, Alex Scott 21, roycecowan, and 98 other people added this photo to their favorites.
人造人間，意慾蔓延 (25 months ago | reply)
OH!!!iz FAntasy
sickmouthy (25 months ago | reply)
If you don't object I might have to use this image for a webpage I'm doing for astrophysics!
人造人間，意慾蔓延 (25 months ago | reply)
hehe,just like astrophysics rly
richard.heeks (25 months ago | reply)
Hi Nick. I've just mailed you re photo usage.
Adrian Midgley (25 months ago | reply)
Sunrise over space habitat.
Yes. This is definitely one of the exercises where an LCD display live view is a better idea than the viewfinder. A key point is the ratio between the area of the effective aperture of the lens, and your pupil.
www.matthewhartphotography.com (25 months ago | reply)
WOW !! Well done and for getting up, I love this time of year for the stillness and the tones in the sky but cant drag my self out of bed for the best part of the day, but do get the best of the evenings. This is an amazing shot and it is very 2001: A Space Odyssey !! Very nice.
You have also helped me as I have a lot of trouble with sun images and processing but the answer is straight out of camera with levels and curves is probably the way to go. :)
richard.heeks (25 months ago | reply)
Thanks Matt. I toyed with the ideas of editing with curves and shadow/highlight, exposure etc, but then I was pleased it looked right SOOC, so thought I'd just leave it be. I love to touch base like that. Thanks for your comments here. Space 2001!!!!
Samantha Mooney Photography (25 months ago | reply)
Wow...soooo pretty! Looks like a planet or something from a scifi movie!
that.with.the.camera (25 months ago | reply)
=O
Amazing!
steeple_jackuk (25 months ago | reply)
Fantastic mate, I was going to comment on the other shot, but this is my fav as its got that lovely clean appeal, to it. Its a powerful shot considering how small and difficult it must be to shoot in the first place.
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Seen on your photo stream. ( ?² )
TomFalconer (25 months ago | reply)
Fantastic interplanetary bubble shot. That boundary layer is really cool and atmospheric.
The flares are great, in my experience shooting straight into the sun definitely brings them out. Use a really cheap lens and you get all kinds of crazy, unpredictable flares!
Great work, as always!
*setsuna (25 months ago | reply)
beautiful!
Christopher Harry (25 months ago | reply)
Excellent photo! Definite sci-fi feel to this! It's clean, beautiful and stunning! Congrats on an amazing photo!
wingy42 Steve Wing (25 months ago | reply)
Awesome shot.
Snap-Smith- (25 months ago | reply)
Wonderful!!
Matt Molloy (25 months ago | reply)
Lovely! I really like the 'planets!' Are you shooting towards the sun?
richard.heeks (25 months ago | reply)
Thanks Matt. The sun is in that direction, yes, but is above the bubble, maybe 10 degrees above the line of the shot.
Matt Molloy (25 months ago | reply)
Interesting. I thought that maybe the flare was actually the sun (looking directly at it) then I also thought that you would need to find the equally opposite angle to get the suns reflection. And now I guess the curve of the bubble makes reflections act a lot differently compared to flat things like a mirror. I'm gonna leave the science to the experts and just give it a try! :)
{Freddy} (25 months ago | reply)
this is a terrific shot.... it really does feel like outer space to me. Thanks for sharing!
q4saleem (25 months ago | reply)
Its very creative...beautiful shot.
KIKOO88, absent pour un moment (25 months ago | reply)
superbe photo, excellent travail
nh! (25 months ago | reply)
aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ a todos se nos ocurre que es el sol apareciendo al borde de la tierra vista desde el espacio, no?
jba6772 (25 months ago | reply)
Awesome pic here. I love how from far away it appears celestial. Almost like an image from the Hubble space telescope!
S Bavido (25 months ago | reply)
I didn't think you could impress me any further. It looks like I was wrong.
alpha_dan77 (25 months ago | reply)
this is perfect!
Simon Vogt (25 months ago | reply)
wow - looks like a scene from 2001 - fantastic shot :D
Adrian Boustead ( Adi ) (24 months ago | reply)
Richard, you are down-right amazing with these bubble/camera concepts. I envy you.
SemiCharmedLife (☯) (24 months ago | reply)
You have a whole different angle on the bubble thing. Nice!
ImaginIsca (24 months ago | reply)
Words fail me - this is incredible! You are the bubble master
ImaginIsca (24 months ago | reply)
What's the reflection on the left hand side? A tree? It looks like a country, making it look even more like Earth. I genuinely thought you'd been into space when I saw the thumbnail!
Marlsie (24 months ago | reply)
This really is spectacular.
richard.heeks (24 months ago | reply)
@tourmalet06. Yes, that reflection is a tree. I hadn't really noticed it until your comment. Funny what escapes attention!
Pipall (24 months ago | reply)
Fantastic work!
Luigi Giordano (24 months ago | reply)
Il mondo in una bolla di sapone... L'ultima frontiera della creatività!
Spettacolare! Foto fantastica, ottimo lavoro!
The world in a soap bubble... The final frontier of creativity!
Spectacular! Fantastic photo, great work!
Joey Dunne (24 months ago | reply)
One world .. amazing!!!
J_E_W_E_L_S (24 months ago | reply)
i can't do science but hey you can't half do bubbles....that is fantastic.
James Gourley Photography (24 months ago | reply)
I'm pretty sure I can see my house on the surface.
slavic from april (23 months ago | reply)
Awesome
Cosmic Witch (23 months ago | reply)
it looks like a planet!
DigitalLyte (20 months ago | reply)
out of this world surreality .... a superb capture!
Dirty Riff Woman (20 months ago | reply)
Really pretty
al-ex (12 months ago | reply)
It's not the first time I visit your gallery (and not the last. This photo is my favorite and I have just created a mail to my friends, putting this image as a theme and asking them to guess what they see. The answer is a direct link to your bubbles gallery. Exploring the secrets of soap bubbles is feeling young, being young and most of all enjoying. You have brought a bubble to all those who cannot do it or don't dare.
I dared: www.flickr.com/photos/al-ex/5051966666/in/pho tostream and with your encouragement I'll try again.
T h a n k s.
lakemans (6 months ago | reply)
Very clever & technically inspiring