February 9, 2012
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Thrifty Thursdays feature photographs taken with equipment costing less than $500.
A vial filled with oil (top) and water demonstrates optical properties of each. The oil bends light more strongly than water, resulting in a more compressed image.
Light bends as it passes through liquids, and the amount it bends depends on the molecular properties of the medium. I wanted to demonstrate this effect in a single image by contrasting the refractive qualities of oil and water at the same time using a vial half-filled with each.
I set up a mini-studio as below, capturing the image above on an iPhone 4S.
Poster board, a desk lamp, and some hot sauce. We here at Compound Eye Studios use only the latest technologies.
About the Author: Alex Wild is an Illinois-based entomologist who studies the evolutionary history of ants. In 2003 he founded a photography business as an aesthetic complement to his scientific work, and his natural history photographs appear in numerous museums, books, and media outlets. Follow on Twitter @myrmecos.
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Very cool!
Link to this