Steel wool, a water hose and the burning bush, er branch

So, in addition to having a really good lunch last week, I decided to get off my rear end and finally spin steel wool.This was something I have wanted to do for a long time after seeing pictures in the Flickr group "Light Junkies".  It's a great group to learn about burning steel wool, light orbs, spirographs etc.  Overall, it is a great place to learn about light painting techniques.  I know I have certainly enjoyed looking at all of the pictures in the group pool. 

I learned how to spin steel wool after reading a post on .photoextremist.com website.  His video and blog entry were very helpful and showed me what I would need to spin the wool.  His site also has some great ideas on other types of trick photography and some good tips on processing photos.  Take a look..

I originally planned to burn the steel wool over Labor Day weekend at Dale Hollow Lake.  However, the tropical storm that blew in from the gulf pounded us with a never ending storm and killed my plans for late night photography. Which is a shame as I was also ready to experiment with star trails. Grrr...

Forward to last week.  I set up my camera on the sidewalk, set up the steel wool, lit it and started spinning. I could not be happier with my results.

Did I mention that steel wool can set dry grass or tree branches on fire?  No, I suppose I forgot that part..then and now.  After spinning the wool and feeling quite pleased with myself and setting up for the next shot, I was curious about a glowing light several feet off the ground and to my left.  Yikes, I set a branch on fire.  I grabbed a hose and put the fire out before it did any more damage.  Thankfully the burn patter was small (but oh so bright) and the tree seems to be none the worse for wear.  Just to be safe, I hosed the rest of the yard down, waited for any more sparks and then set up for this picture in the street:

A different technique and thankfully I didn't set the street on fire.  Again, I'm very happy with the results. Another safety tip, wear long sleeves, trousers, gloves and something to cover your head.  The bits of wool don't stay lit for long, but they can give a little sting when they hit bare flesh.  As far as clothes go, wear something black unless you want to stand out in the picture.  Both of these pictures were shot at f13, ISO 200 and were 30 second exposures.  I added a little warmth to the colors in PSE as I think it helps them stand out more.  After subsequent attempts, I kept the colors closer to what they actually look like.  They are below:

In both of the new shots, I was trying to spin the wool into an orb shape.  I like the two attempts, but I need to refine my spinning technique some more.  I think I might need some extra weights to keep the whisk from spinning around too much.  These two were done at f11, ISO 200 and 30 second exposures. 

Well, that's all for now.  I have been scouting locations in Indy that would look good in the background when I burn the steel wool again..and soon.  I think along the canal is a good place to start.