Clouds Indoors

I have an entire collection of cloud photographs captured with various cameras of mine over the years. Clouds make for interesting photos, especially after, before, and during a storm.

Clouds are formed as a result of condensation in the atmosphere and are made of ice crystals and water droplets. They have the ability to amaze and put humans into a state of awe, especially when patterns and shapes of familiarity are present.

So what if someone wanted to make clouds indoors, say in a bedroom, for example? According to science and the scientific mind, that would be impossible. Primarily due to the fact that indoor air is moist and warm, it cannot rise high enough due to a ceiling being present.

Defying Science

That's what science says; however, as one artist discovered, that's the rule but not the exception. You may have heard of Berndnaut Smilde; he famously photographs clouds inside indoor spaces. No, he doesn't require Photoshop or some other form of editing or perception trickery.

Instead, he truly creates indoor clouds, often spending hours perfecting the right combination of aerosolized water, humidity, moisture levels, and temperature. His camera captures it all.

One of the primary ingredients is dust; thankfully, most geographical locations have it in abundance. Next, he disperses aerosolized water into the air. What results, quite simply, is the beauty captured in his photographs.

Thinking Bigger

So now that we know indoor clouds are a thing, my mind naturally wanders to creating indoor thunderstorms. The obvious go-to would be cloud in a bottle, but besides being a grade school science experiment, it's not quite what I have in mind. I'm thinking of a large-scale, enclosed, man-made weather system.

I don't want to simply mimic a thunderstorm, although that's a fun activity if you are looking for something to do with your time. Ideally, I want clouds, lightning, and thunder in my bedroom, living room, or lab. Technically, while it may be possible to accomplish all that I seek, I don't want it to exist in an impermanent space or exist for mere moments.

Final Thought

So, as I stand here contemplating the impossible and the imaginable, I realize that pushing the boundaries of what we can create indoors is more than just a science experiment—it’s a statement of human curiosity and artistic rebellion.

Berndnaut Smilde, in particular, is a perfect example of this—challenging science, defying what’s considered impossible, and proving the naysayers wrong.

He’s a rebel for capturing clouds inside a room without tricks or Photoshop, showing that sometimes, the rules are made to be broken. In a way, these ideas remind me that the limits we often accept are only that—limits.

With enough ingenuity, patience, and a bit of dust and water, perhaps one day we’ll see indoor weather systems that defy the rules, that make us question what’s truly possible. Until then, I’ll keep dreaming, experimenting, and maybe even chasing those indoor clouds, one aerosol spray at a time.

Because at the end of the day, isn’t that what it’s all about? Unfiltered, uncensored, unapologetic exploration—pushing past the boundaries of what’s supposed to be and creating a little chaos, a little wonder, right in the comfort of our own spaces. And who knows? Maybe someday, we’ll look back and say we started with just a cloud in a bottle and ended up rewriting the weather itself.