A magnified image of ascorbic acid crystals won the 1994 grand prize in Polaroid鈥檚 British photomicrography awards. The winner, Spike Walker, produced the image during his 鈥渟cratch and blow鈥� period. A former biology lecturer who now makes and sells micrographs for a living, Walker photographed the crystals with a camera attached to a microscope. He produced the special effects by scratching the sample and breathing on it. 鈥淚 got bored with what nature provides,鈥� says Walker.
After obtaining a supersaturated solution of ascorbic acid 鈥� vitamin C 鈥� he scratched fine lines across the sample with a needle. Crystals formed in parallel with the scratches. He then breathed moisture onto the crystals every 60 seconds. This resulted in crystals with unusual hydration patterns, which show up as greeny blue vertical lines. The colourful bulbous parts occur where the crystal layers are thickest.