A Guide to Steel Wool Lightpainting

Ever wanted to cause some mischief in the night? In this tipster, I’ll explain the do’s and don’ts of steel wool lightpainting, so you can go out and create some pretty cool photos, and feel like a total badass while doing so.

Some time ago, I was wasting my time on the internet again, when I stumbled upon some incredible fiery photos. I got way too excited (I have the character of a little doggy when it comes to spectacular stuff), did some research, and the next weekend I was ready to try this steel wool photography for myself. I got to say, I had so much fun and I’m pretty pleased with the results too, especially considering that I’m a total rookie when it comes to analog photography. So, I’ve decided to share my experiences with you, because it’s an amazing technique you really should try. Just, try not to burn your city down or something.

Alright, down to business. You need this:

• Your camera (I used my Sprocket Rocket , but any camera with a bulb setting will do)
• Film (I used Fuji Superia 200 and Lomography CN 400, both worked fine)
• A tripod might come in handy, we’re talking long exposure here.
• A whisk, preferably one you won’t be needing in the kitchen anymore.
• A lanyard or a steel cable you can attach to the whisk.
• Some steel wool (the fibers mustn’t be too thick, grade 0 to grade 0000 will do, I used 00), you can find it in any hardware store.
• A lighter or a 9 volt battery.
• Depending on how safe you want to play it, some protective clothing, something that doesn’t catch on fire too easily would be nice.

So, the idea is this: you attach a cable to a whisk so you can swing it around in a circle. This was my very professional construction:

Next, you take a bit of steel wool, enough to fill the whisk. You can puff it up a little, so you get more airflow and more sparks. Fine steel wool ignites easily, using a lighter you can ignite it just a little bit, so the steel wool is smoldering in one or two places. Once you start spinning the whisk, the airflow will cause the rest of the steel wool to catch on fire. Alternatively, you can use a 9 volt battery to ignite the steel wool. If you use a battery, DO NOT keep the steel wool and the battery in the same compartment of your bag, like I said, it ignites fairly easily.
While you are spinning, the burning steel wool will generate sparks, the faster you spin the whisk, the more sparks you’ll get. Depending on the amount, it will burn for 5-20 seconds.

Using a camera with a bulb setting, you can capture this entire sparking process. Obviously it is essential not to move your camera, so bring a tripod or use a stable surface. The easiest way would be to bring some friends along, I don’t think using a cable release is very practical in this case, and you’ll have loads of fun. Here are some of the pictures I took:

Now, location is everything here! The sparks will bounce of any surface they encounter, so think tunnels, bridges, narrow alleys, … If you’re lucky enough to have an abandoned factory nearby, perfect, the sparks in the industrial environment will be awesome. One thing you should consider is not attracting too much attention though, you don’t want concerned neighbors or the cops shutting your photoshoot down.

Excited yet? Well, you should, but there’s one more thing, and this is a big one. It’s time to talk about safety.

• You know how I said location is everything? Well, this applies both to the aesthetical and the practical and safe side of this technique. You’ll be flinging sparks all over the place, and they can fly pretty far, so be sure to pick a spot where you won’t set fire to anything. If you’re spinning near grass, shrubs or trees, only do this after it has been raining, if there is any chance you’ll set anything on fire, don’t do it! Beaches are pretty good when it comes to safety, but be prepared to attract some attention.
• For your first few tries, I recommend good, protective clothing. Long sleeves, trousers, a hoodie or something else to cover your hair, gloves, maybe glasses. This is even more important when your spinning under a ceiling, because sparks will fall back down on you. It doesn’t hurt when they fall on your hands or arms or whatever, but I guess you wouldn’t want them in your hair.
• More dangerous than the little sparks, sometimes bigger chunks of steel wool can detach and fly off. These are basically pieces of molten metal and they will continue to burn for some time. If you see this happening, make sure it has stopped smoldering before you continue with your next picture. These bigger pieces are incredibly hot, so be careful.
• It is a good idea to bring a fire extinguisher, obviously for safety, but it also comes in handy when someone comes asking questions, so you can prove you don’t intend to burn the entire neighborhood down.
• Make sure you keep the rest of your steel wool somewhere the sparks can’t reach it. One spark on your roll of steel wool and it is very likely your shoot is over.
• When you are finished shooting, stay on the scene for a couple more minutes, make sure you didn’t start any fires, check the environment properly!

Okay, now you can get started. If you do decide to try it after reading this, send me a message when you upload your pictures or something, I can’t wait to see what all you people can do with this technique. Add some models, include other lightpainting techniques, try some crazy perspectives, find the best location, anything goes. Be careful, but most importantly, have fun!

written by math0165 on 2013-04-01 #gear #tutorials #art #tipster #long-exposure-lightpainting-light-painting-technique-bulb-night-fire