This is a lot of fun and quite easy to do. The hardest part might be finding a clear baking dish that doesn’t have the word “Pyrex” in the middle of it! I found one at IKEA.
I used a Tamron 90 mm Macro lens. And it is necessary to use a tripod that has an horizontal arm so that your camera’s lens can be parallel to the horizontal surface of the baking pan. Note that I have weighed down the back of the tripod with a beanbag so it doesn’t tip over. I placed the clear dish straddled between two chairs, and the camera lens about 16 inches above the surface of the water in the dish. I poured about an inch of water into the baking dish, then poured about a half cup of cooking oil on top of the water.
Place different colored objects on the floor beneath the glass dish. I have a few brightly colored bandannas that work well. Then take a knife or stick and swirl the oil around. It will create surreal shapes and eventually relax into round circles that cling to each other. Focus on the outer edge of the oil circles and use a very shallow depth of field.
Keep shooting and experimenting. Have fun!
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