Abstract nominee

Drops of magnesium sulfate solution gently flown into a thin layer of sodium hydroxide solution in a petri dish. At the interface of the two solutions, a white magnesium hydroxide precipitate is formed. The images are of this very thin magnesium hydroxide layer. Cross polarization was used to create contrast. Magnification is approximately 1:1. To compensate for the very shallow depth of field the image was stacked.

I am a chemist by training and worked for most of my life in the chemical industry. I have had an interest in photography from my early twenties. Four years ago I started to delve into the possibilities digital photography offers in visualizing chemistry, thus combining my love for photography and chemistry. For me it has been a real treasure trove.
I use macro lenses often in combination with cross polarized light, and sometimes with wave plates to shift color, to visualize crystals and precipitates. I am continuously experimenting with new ways to form precipitates and to crystallize common compounds or salts from solution. The way in which precipitates or crystals are formed has a tremendous effect on the results. As precipitation and crystallization processes are highly unpredictable, it entails a lot of trial and error.