Summary of Kirlian photography – a simple way of taking it
Kirlian photography captures corona discharge as blue-edged glows. This minimalist project uses a modified camera, high voltage supply, tin foil, glass, and slats to create simple setups. Results are interesting though less detailed than complex systems. Images require low ISO and long exposure in dark conditions. Safety is critical due to lethal high voltages; living objects must not be photographed.
Parts used in the Kirlian Photography Project:
- Camera with modifiable ISO and exposure time
- 10-30kV high voltage supply
- Tin foil (adhesive strips or regular)
- Small piece of glass
- Slats or similar items for construction
- Cable
- Adhesive tape
- Plastic containers
Kirlian photography is an interesting photographic technique of capturing corona discharge of objects. The images basically contain only edges in a form of blue glow. Note: one of those photos is visible in “The X files” intro – read the whole article to know why!
In this post I will present my minimalist approach with common materials and without complicated construction. The results aren’t that good as with more complex setups, but I think that they are still really interesting.
Materials
- A camera with modifiable ISO and exposure time.
- 10-30kV high voltage supply.
- Tin foil. I used a foil in a form of adhesive strips because it’s easier to stick it to surfaces, but a regular one can be also used.
- Small piece of glass.
- Slats or other things to put everything in place.
Assembly instruction
The foil was stuck into one side of a glass and cut to fit to the edges of the glass. A cable was attached to the tin foil by using adhesive tape. The cable was connected to the ground of the power supply.
The photographed object was placed on the upper side of the glass, and high voltage wire was connected to it by using adhesive aluminium tape.
Plastic containers and slats (visible below) were used to make a construction where I could put the camera. The camera should be placed directly above photographed object.
There isn’t any protection against external light, so all photos were taken at night with lights turned off.
Camera settings
The image is mostly black, so it’s preferable to use the lowest possible ISO to avoid noises. From my observation, corona discharges are quite static (they don’t change theirs places), so it’s good to set the longest exposure time – images will contain more shapes. Camera should be set to taking photos of short distance objects.
All my images were made with ISO100 and 15s exposure.
Safety concerns
Despite the simple construction, taking those photos can be unsafe or even lethal due to high voltage that is used here. Don’t take photos of living objects (especially yourself or other people).
The detailed safety info is presented in my original article about building and using a high voltage supply.
Examples of photos
One of my first experiments – a picture of a leaf, regular and made by Kirlian photography.
A picture of a coin.
Paranormal aspect of Kirlian photography
Some people claims that aura can be observed by using this technique. Others claim that it’s not possible. I didn’t check it yet, but if you have any data, please share them in the comment section.
For more detail: Kirlian photography – a simple way of taking it
- What materials are needed for this minimalist Kirlian setup?
A camera with adjustable settings, 10-30kV high voltage supply, tin foil, glass, slats, cable, adhesive tape, and plastic containers. - How should the camera be positioned during the photo session?
The camera should be placed directly above the object being photographed using plastic containers and slats for support. - Why must photos be taken at night with lights off?
There is no protection against external light, so darkness is required to capture the faint corona discharge images. - What camera settings are recommended for best results?
Use the lowest possible ISO like 100 and the longest exposure time such as 15 seconds to capture static discharges clearly. - Can I photograph living objects like people or pets?
No, taking photos of living objects especially yourself or other people is unsafe and potentially lethal due to high voltage. - Does this technique prove the existence of an aura?
The article states some claim it observes auras while others deny it, but the author has not checked this yet. - What is the primary visual characteristic of Kirlian images?
The images basically contain only edges in the form of a blue glow representing corona discharge. - Is this method considered complex to build?
No, the author presents a minimalist approach using common materials without complicated construction.
