Colorful Waters

Here's how to create some colorfully soft abstractions:

1. Smear some bright acrylic paint colors on a large sheet of white paper.
2. Set a flat-bottom clear-glass bowl filled with water on some sort of supports so it is a foot or two above the paper.
3. Pour an ounce or two of vegetable oil into the water. Remember oil and water won't mix.
4. Use your finger to stir the liquids into patterns.
5. Wait for the oil and water to stop moving and then look for pleasing shapes in the water.
6. Move in close with your camera. You may need to go to the camera's macro setting for a really close in shot.
7. Shoot across the skim on the surface. Make sure the back of your camera is parallel with the surface of the water.
8. More than likely any bright light source will work.

The colors you smeared on the paper should show through the water in the bowl, softly blend together in an abstract blur.
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An alternative approach would be to squirt drops of food coloring into water. The way the colors constantly change as they flow into and mix with the water is eye-catching.

1. For this, a square glass container such as a cheap plastic or glass aquarium would work better than a round bowl.
2. Place an unpainted large sheet of white paper behind the container.  The background paper should be well lighted as you shoot through the container.
3. Buy inexpensive squeezable bottles of blue, yellow, green and red food coloring.
4. To shoot monochromatic images drop in one color and shoot.
5. To shoot multicolor images, drop in several colors. The water will become streaked with colors.
6. If it becomes  too muddy, simply pour out the water and refill the container.

Your photos will reveal a vibrant rainbow of floating abstractions.