This is a picture of smoke taken by Steven Duong on flickr (licensed CC-BY-ND). This image demonstrates the intersection of science and beauty. Artistically, the visual composition is satisfying, with a sense of motion and an interesting arc for the eye to follow. From a scientific standpoint, the swirls and backflow of the smoke show the complexity of the flow dynamics of air, and the image is able to capture them without loss of clarity due to the complexity. The flow’s complex dynamics are clearly and crisply shown by the well-illuminated blue-and-white particles on a completely black background. This high contrast makes the image artistically pleasing as well as being effective for visualizing the flow pattern clearly for scientific purposes. The black background also enhances the image by eliminating any non-flow-related content, providing effective negative space, and drawing the viewer’s eye to the highlighted smoke pattern.
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Flow Vis Guidebook
- Introduction to the Guidebook
- Overview 1: Phenomena. Why Does It Look Like That?
- Overview 2: Visualization Techniques
- Overview 3: Lighting
- Overview 4 - Photography A: Composition and Studio Workflow
- Overview 4 - Photography B: Cameras
- Overview 4 - Photography C: Lenses - Focal Length
- Overview 4 - Photography C: Lenses - Aperture and DOF
- Overview 4: Photography D: Exposure
- Overview 4 - Photography E - Resolution
- Overview 5 - Post-Processing
- Clouds 1: Names
- Clouds 2: Why Are There Clouds? Lift Mechanism 1: Instability
- Clouds 3: Skew - T and Instability
- Clouds 4: Clouds in Unstable Atmosphere
- Clouds 5: Lift Mechanism 2 - Orographics
- Clouds 6: Lift Mechanism 3 - Weather Systems
- Boundary Techniques - Introduction
- Dye Techniques 1 - Do Not Disturb
- Dye Techniques 2 - High Visibility
- Dye Techniques 3 - Light Emitting Fluids
- Refractive Index Techniques 1: Liquid Surfaces
- Refractive Index Techniques 2: Shadowgraphy and Schlieren
- Particle Physics: Flow and Light
- Dilute Particle Techniques - Under Construction
- Particles 2: Aerosols
- Particles 3: In Water - Under Construction
- Art and Science
- TOC and Zotpress test
- Photons, Wavelength and Color
4 Comments. Leave new
First: I really liked the detailing of the wisps of smoke in this picture and the use of a black background that allows the motion of smoke to stand out.
Third Price: Although this is super common phenomena and the photograph does not involve technical complexity, it is such a cool and beauty visualization
Second Prize: The lighting used in this photograph really emphasizes the way the smoke moves through the air. The boundary is crisp and allows the viewer to easily follow the flow. The colors within the smoke are subtle but make the photo even more interesting as you look closer.
First Prize
I appreciate the clarity of this photo. The smoke trails are illuminated well and stand out on the black background, and I like the use of negative space. This is a beautiful photo.