Spiritual Blogs

They could almost be mistaken for images taken in the far-reaches of outer space, or an ultra-magnified snapshot of microscopic organisms.

However look again, for these incredible pictures are the work of artist Markus Reugels who has turned to one of the most abundant resources on the planet to create these strange and beautiful portraits - water.

The 33-year-old German artist combined water droplets with food colouring and creative lighting to make these vibrant images, which were only able to be captured with high-speed camera equipment.

Atomic: At a glance, this extraordinary image could be mistaken for a nuclear mushroom cloud... but it's a harmless splash of water amplified with a fiery-coloured light.

Certainly not wet behind the ears: Artist Markus turned these splashes into exotic-looking flowers

The end result shows how the artist is making quite a splash with his unique works.

Markus drops the water on to trays, egg cups or teaspoons and snaps away as it splashes upwards and outwards, creating otherworldly shapes.

He added food colouring to the water and different coloured gels to his flashes, to create an intense glowing effect.

Endurance: Markus had to employ a bucket load of patience to achieve some of the results pictured here

By thickening the water with guar gum he was also able to alter the shape of the splashes, making some of them take on the bizarre look of something from a science-fiction film or a nuclear mushroom cloud.

The shapes, which varied from 3cm to 15cm, were altered even further by adding sugar and, by putting rinse aid in the dish, he was able to increase the height of the droplet splashes.

However, were it not for the advancements of high-speed photography, these images would not exist as they are impossible to see with the naked eye.

Ethereal: Water can create beautiful shapes but without high-speed photography it is impossible to see with the naked eye

Drop in the ocean: These stunning images are just one of many created by artist Markus Reugels

Markus, who proudly reveals his images are free from colour and computerised manipulation, used a sensor to trigger the camera because the water falls too fast for his finger to operate the shutter.

An extremely fast shutter speed of of up to 1/16,000 per second allowed him to capture detail the human eye could never see.

Markus, from Schweinfurt, Bavaria, said: 'Water can create beautiful shapes but without high-speed photography we could never see them.

On reflection: This work - titled Double Milk Splash - resembles two toadstools.

Water feature: Some of Markus Reugels' splashes look like umbrellas

'The shapes of the splashes are very difficult to manipulate.

'The basic shapes, such as the umbrellas and flying discs, are easy but to create the double splashes you must work very hard, have good endurance and patience.

'You must also analyse the results and test new things. The important thing is to have fun - the rest will come by itself.'

Ripple effect: Water was dropped on to trays, egg cups or tea spoons to get effects like these.

Water works: The shape and height of the splashes can be altered by adding sugar and rinse aid to the dish.

Food colouring and coloured-gels are added to the water to create a glowing effect.

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Truly beautiful, innovative and emotive art.....Although we can see splashing water every time it rains, every time we are having a shower, yet we are still not able to see the whole process of splashing water drops. Some stages of the splashing process are very beautiful, but we cannot really enjoy them without “stopping” or “slowing” the time.