It's an interesting idea but it doesn't quite work for me, there's a conflict of interest. Is the subject the motion of the bubbles or the refracted colours in them? Given the pattern of coloured paper I think it should be the latter - for which purpose the bubbles need to be sharp. Look at the lovely effects that you are getting - particularly the red and blue showing through the bubbles seen over green card. I'd love to see that hard, sharp, sparkling, like glass marbles. Moira

It's an interesting idea but it doesn't quite work for me, there's a conflict of interest. Is the subject the motion of the bubbles or the refracted colours in them? Given the pattern of coloured paper I think it should be the latter - for which purpose the bubbles need to be sharp. Look at the lovely effects that you are getting - particularly the red and blue showing through the bubbles seen over green card. I'd love to see that hard, sharp, sparkling, like glass marbles.
Moira

I am left wondering what it was that you originally set out to do. I like the pattern of the coloured paper very much, radiating from a central point. What I also like is the interesting patterns that paper is making on the most prominent bubbles, those near the centre, on the yellow and green. I agree with Moira, and if these were sharp, they would provide you with a focal point, an area of immediate interest. I would suggest that you don't stir the water, but if you still want the circular motion of the bubbles, then you are going to need a much faster shutter speed. I have to admit to liking the circular motion and contrast of the circular pattern against the triangular patterns of the coloured paper. I would take this further and try different settings. For instance, a larger aperture would give you one small group of bubbles in focus, allowing the rest to be blurred, which is quite a nice effect. I have done a modification where I cropped in order to make the composition a bit more interesting, having the centre to the left, ending up with a square format. My intention was also to emphasize the most attractive bubbles, which I selectively sharpened, in an effort to demonstrate my suggestion in the last paragraph. Pamela.

I am left wondering what it was that you originally set out to do.
I like the pattern of the coloured paper very much, radiating from a central point. What I also like is the interesting patterns that paper is making on the most prominent bubbles, those near the centre, on the yellow and green. I agree with Moira, and if these were sharp, they would provide you with a focal point, an area of immediate interest.
I would suggest that you don't stir the water, but if you still want the circular motion of the bubbles, then you are going to need a much faster shutter speed. I have to admit to liking the circular motion and contrast of the circular pattern against the triangular patterns of the coloured paper.
I would take this further and try different settings. For instance, a larger aperture would give you one small group of bubbles in focus, allowing the rest to be blurred, which is quite a nice effect.
I have done a modification where I cropped in order to make the composition a bit more interesting, having the centre to the left, ending up with a square format. My intention was also to emphasize the most attractive bubbles, which I selectively sharpened, in an effort to demonstrate my suggestion in the last paragraph.
Pamela.