20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Artistic
I Can See Clearly Now

This is a snapshot of an over-sized iridescent soap bubble that was created by a clown entertainer at a local community arts/crafts fair. He waved a large wand filled with bubble soap and the huge bubbles slowly floated into the clear blue sky. This was the first community event I'd attended since the Covid19 Pandemic, as the shelter-in-place restrictions began to lift and people were gradually resuming some resemblance of their social lives. I was elated to finally be outdoors among people on the beautiful day, and cherished every moment. Practicing mindfulness, I watched this bubble slowly float toward the sky. I noticed it looked like an upside-down heart at one point so I captured the photo. Watching the floating bubbles made me feel like a kid again, carefree and no worries. The irony of it all is that we had just spent over the past year sequestered to our homes, isolated, and full of worries amidst the ambiguity of the Pandemic. So this bubble somehow exemplifies our gradual transition to a new day, coming out of the pandemic. Basically, fragile and somewhat fearful of suddenly popping.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2021
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: SAN FRANCISCO, California, United States of America
Camera: iPhone SE (2nd generation)
Copyright: © Donna Lau