Photo of the Day
Each day, we highlight one extraordinary photograph from National Geographic. Check out more of our photos here.
Pink, blue, and green chemicals appear on a polarizing microscope in the shapes of leaves.
October 6, 2026 | Secret Formula
In his Dublin, Ireland-based lab, photographer Karl Gaff devised a secret formula using compounds like iron sulfate and urea to make this striking image. After spreading the mixture onto a glass slide, he heated it and then used a polarizing microscope to capture the exact moment it crystallized. The chemical process produced this vivid composition, which Gaff says resembles “a dense wall of foliage” with a colorful array of plants, flowers, and tree branches. This photo is featured in the "In Focus" series in the October 2026 issue of National Geographic.
