Other than boosting our immune system, vitamin C can also be rather useful in photography. Yup, you read that right. Those of you who develop film know that it can be done with vitamin C. And those who are more into digital photography can make use of this vitamin too. Jens of Another Perspective decided to play with it for artistic purposes and show you how beautiful it looks as it forms under a microscope. Using his digital camera, polarized light, and a bit of C vitamin powder, he created a bunch of mesmerizing photos and video clips he shares with you in this video.
To make this trippy bunch of crystals, Jens started by dissolving some vitamin C powder in water and alcohol. He notes that it dissolves best at high temperatures, but keep in mind that vitamin C denatures rapidly at over 170 °F (77 °C). I couldn’t find the information on whether it just reduces its benefits, or affects crystal forming too. It’s not that I didn’t look. But those of you better at chemistry – feel free to teach me!
Anyhow, once Jens dissolved the vitamin C powder, he added a few droplets of the solution onto a glass plate and placed it under a microscope. He attached his Sony a6300 to the microscope and took some images and videos of growing crystals under different lighting. This includes polarized light, which really emphasizes those vibrant, psychedelic colors. In case you want to try this but don’t have a microscope, wait, don’t go! You can still photograph crystals up close and this article will guide you through the process. And if you just want to watch ordinary stuff become extraordinary under a microscope, make sure to follow Jens on Instagram and YouTube.
