Where ART Lives Magazine Volume 2 Number 5 | Page 36

EXPOSED

I started creating my fine art photography after I
retired. I’ve always loved photography and science
and sought a way to merge the two. My interests in
art combined with my husband’s encouragement and
aid led me to the incredible, hidden world of
micro-crystal photography.
I grow crystals and take photographs of them
through the microscope. Of course, the practice is
much more complex than that. First I have to
determine the right chemicals to use. These
chemicals range from ingredients you might put into
cookies, such as baker’s vanilla, to components
used in makeup or even a common anesthetic. Then I
need to safely grow them into crystals. There are
several processes but the one I prefer requires
liquefying the chemicals using heat, and in my case
that means a flame. Fortunately none of the
chemicals I use are toxic, though I have been
worried about consequences of mixing chemicals,
which I often do. The house is still intact so I
consider it all a success. So far so good, fingers
crossed!
Once the crystals begin to form, I carefully mount
the slide onto the microscope stage and search the
scene, often watching the crystals form right
before my eyes. Polarized light brings out the
magnificent colors; without it, you wouldn’t see
much more than vague shapes and shadows on a white
field. I look for an area of crystals that speaks
to me or resembles a familiar sight, such as
flowers or a landscape.

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