Steel wool photography

ISO 400 - 15 mm - f 22 - 20,0 sec
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So excited to do this assignment from my photography course.

I thought this would be so cool, and it certainly didn't disappoint me. I'm delighted with the result.

But before you can get started, you need a little preparation. Not in terms of your camera.

I mean the stuff you need to create these great sparks. First, of course, you need steel wool. And a lot of it!! But also a whisk in which you put the steel wool. A piece of rope to which you attach the whisk. You have to swing it around to get that beautiful effect. And a lighter or a fully charged 9V battery to set the steel wool on fire.

(Watch the attached video below for further visual explanation.)

Steel Wool Photography is all about long exposure. So shutter speed and aperture are critical.

Below each photo, you can see which settings I used. But, of course, that also depends on the ambient light in your area. So dare to play with your camera's settings until you are delighted.

Because of the long exposure, you will capture all the hot embers flying through the air. Make sure you wear clothes that are not flammable and cover your head well so that no sparks can get on your skin or hair.

Gloves are also helpful. The sparks will mainly fly away from you and not be very hot, but prevention is better.

Also, be mindful of your surroundings. You must prevent setting dry nature on fire, for example.

Your camera beautifully captures the path the glowing embers will travel through the air. And will be visible as beautiful stripes. And a circle in the middle, where you spin the whisk.

If you stand in an open area, the embers will fly in all directions. But if, like me in the first two photos, you're in a confined space, limiting the distance the sparks can fly. And you get a unique frame with your image.
In these first two photos, my dad and I are in a tunnel. The sun had set, so we were not bothered by external light.

ISO 400 - 15 mm - f 22 - 20,0 sec
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The following photos were shot at different locations on the edge of a village. The first three face the town. You also see a lot of ambient light, which I find disturbing in the photo. You see lampposts, buildings, etc.

Too bad, but unfortunately, you cannot move or remove them from the photo. Even with Photoshop, this is too much work. So instead, I suggest having a completely dark background, and your image will be most successful. And the embers come into their own best.

ISO 320 - 43 mm - f 11 - 15,0 sec
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ISO 200 - 15 mm - f 11 - 15,0 sec
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ISO 200 - 15 mm - f 16 - 30,0 sec
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These last two photos were shot in the same spot but now facing the water instead of the village. The person who swings the steel wool is standing on a boating dock. You can immediately see that the background is much darker, and the sparks stand out more from the environment.

ISO 160 - 15 mm - f 11 - 15,0 sec
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This last photo is my favorite. Here you see two people. One person spins the steel wool, and the second walks towards the sparks with an umbrella in front of him, protecting him from the embers. You can also see the sparks bouncing off the umbrella.