What is Kirlian photography? How You Can Experiment Capturing Kirlian Images?

You would have probably heard about fashion, sports, architecture, landscape, portrait, still life, and editorial photography, but have you heard about Kirlian photography? The chances are many would have not, albeit a few experts in the photography field.

As the name sounds, it is in the process an unusual way of photography to shoot objects and one of the lesser-known aspects in this realm.

What is Kirlian photography?

If you are an amateur photographer, then knowing this in basic you would probably think of this as a mystery. But there is a science behind it.

Now, in fundamental, Kirlian photography is a technique that is used to shoot electrical coronal discharges? Sounds interesting as well as enigmatic? Also known as electrophotography, it is used to develop high-voltage images. It works by showcasing the visible auras around the subject.

What makes it interesting is that to create these images, the use of a camera only comes at the end. The primary objects you need are a photographic film sheet, which is placed over a metal plate. Place the object on the sheets’ top, and then pass high-voltage current through the metal plate. This will result in the creation of electrical coronal discharge between the metal plate and object to be photographed. Capture this discharge with a camera, and your Kirlian image is ready to be developed. The resulting developed photograph shows visible glowing and light shadow around the object that is photographed.

Kirlian Photography Origin

This photography type is nothing new, but dates back to the 1800s, and was officially experimented and invented in 1939 by Semyon Davidovitch Kirlian and his wife, and thereby is named after them. However, they didn’t let their experiments known to others up until 1958, and it was only by 1970 when the general public came to know about Kirlian photography.

The invention of Kirlian photography can be traced back to the emergence of electricity and photography technologies which were new at that time. The curiosity about what would happen when these two would combine led to the emergence of this phenomenon, which was called electrography at that time.

Simon and his wife saw a patient receiving treatment using an electrical generator at a hospital which resulted in a neon glow reflection when electrodes were put near the skin, which prompted them to try and capture the electricity glow on camera. They used a photographic plate in their experiment, placing a hand on the electrified plate, resulting in a vibrant outline of the palm which was the coronal discharge around the hand in the air.

Science Behind Kirlian Photography

If you have up until now believed that the shiny auras captured by the Kirlian photography around an object are something paranormal or spiritual then you are wrong. As we have explained above this visible glow takes place capturing the coronal electrical discharge when the current is applied to the plate.

How to Capture Your Kirlian Photographs?

As this is all about science, you can also start capturing such electrophotographic images yourself. And this can be done with easy-to-find items and placing them in a dark place where there is no sunlight. You need photographic paper, a conductor and a means to pass the current. Talking about current to apply, around 75khz is enough, and one must be careful during the process to keep safe from the electrical shock. Kirlian himself sustained many electrical burns during his experiment, and so you must be wary of placing your hand or any other body part on the electrified plates.

There is not a single type of resulting image, as different factors like connectivity, humidity, and grounding all are variable in different environments that result in different images.

Setting Up for Kirlian Photography Capture

List of items that you would need:

• plasma photo plate
• wire piece
• high voltage insulator, which could be a plastic container
• A conductive solution for electricity (most common is a solution of water and salt)
• Power pulse modulator
• A syringe to use with electrode plate (use transparent electrodes that ensures easily visible electric field around the object)
• High voltage spark coil
• The object to be photographed
• Transparent tape

How to Capture the Kirlian Photograph?

• Fill the conductive solution into the photo plate or electrode
• After ensuring the plate is clean and dry, place the object on the top of the plate (if there is moisture on the object it will only result in a more vibrant resulting image, so you need not worry about this)
• Use the transparent tape to connect the electrode plate with the object
• Connect the wire piece to the object at one end, and the ground at the other ends
• Ensure that the entire setup is placed on the insulators (ideal to use a plastic container or cup)
• Connect the electrode with the high voltage spark coil
• Turn off the lights
• Then turn on the power and keep the current flowing for a few seconds (the time duration for exposure can be experimented at different ranges to get varied results)

Now is the time to use your camera having a large maximum aperture lens. You can experiment with shutter speed to explore different photography settings.

Your Kirlian photography is done with. Now develop the result and you will be pretty amazed and excited to see something thrilling with your capture. Still, if you need any help you can contact a photo editing services provider that can give the best output for your effort.