Rings of Fire
(A Steel Wool Photography Tutorial)
Intro
When making a trek to Adorama for some new toys, you never
expect one of their staff to come up to you and ask “Do you want to
burn some steel wool . . . in the store?” After totaling up the cost of
all the electronics that would be damaged and/or destroyed, burnt
to a crisp and coated in charred steel, I thought it would be a great
idea. Now don’t get me wrong, there are thousands (if not tens
of thousands) of videos on YouTube, but there’s a lot of tips that I
had to figure out while trying it out. The technique is actually really
simple, and there’s not much gear required at all.
The Gear
• Camera and lens (required) - If I have to explain that you need
a camera and lens to shoot steel wool photography, maybe you
should not be trying to take pictures of burning objects. However, I
do recommend a wide lens to capture all of the flying pieces of steel
wool and some of the environment around the spinner.
• Tripod (optional) - Now when I shoot steel wool, I always have
a tripod with me, but to be honest, you may not need it. You can
always rest your camera on a bench, rail or table top. The point is
to keep your camera stable (and not in your hands) while you or
another person is spinning the steel wool.
• UV Filter (optional) - Now there is no reason why you NEED a
UV filter on your lens to shoot steel wool. However, you have got to
keep in mind that there will be flaming clumps of steel wool flying
about at high speeds. Small clumps often separate and are still
on fire. You got to ask yourself: If a flaming piece of steel wool hits
your camera lens, do you want to replace a filter or do you want to
replace a lens?
• Rope/Cord/String/Leash (required) - Yeah, I’m going to have
to call this one a requirement. If you don’t have anything to swing
the steel wool around with, you’re pretty much left with a flaming
piece of metal in your hand. Not cool. (See what I did there?) Make
sure you get a cord that’s at least two and a half feet long. Swing
steel wool in small circles may make an interesting fire cocoon
effect, but that means you have sparks very close to you.
• Whisk (optional) - Now while I will admit that having a whisk
is optional, I think it’s one of the most important materials to keep
this technique safe. I’ve already stated that pieces of steel wool
can separate and go flying out while still on fire. A whisk acts as a
cage to keep the steel wool in place. Don’t buy a cheap one either.
Thin whisks will melt very easily and leave huge gaps for the steel
wool to escape and whisks with few bands are pretty much useless.
If you’re attaching the whisk by the loop at the end of the handle,
make sure it’s very sturdy. You don’t want your whisk flying into
someone’s face while containing burning steel wool. Don’t believe
that the whisk is very important? Then check out this picture of my
neck after trying this with a 99 cent store whisk. Those dots are
pieces of steel wool still in my skin.
• Remote (optional) - I usually go photo walking with at least one
or two other photographers, so I really don’t need a remote trigger
for my camera. But if you’re going to try this alone (Mother of all that
is holy, don’t! If an accident happens, who’ll be there to help?), a
remote will help you trigger your shutter without constantly running
back to your camera. You can also try using the exposure delay or
self timer features (if your camera has these features), but a remote
would be much more convenient.
• Non-flammable / Empty Location (required) - Yeah, I said it
required. Suppose you go burn down a building or a forest or blind
someone. What’s the first thing out of your mouth when the cops
come? “Brooklyn said to do it!” I will not get sued for your injurycausing negligence so make sure where ever you decide to try this
is empty and doesn’t have anything that could catch fire. The beach
is a good place when it’s empty.
• Steel Wool (required) - Yeah, so how do you plan on shooting
steel wool . . . . without steel wool? Granted, sparklers may make a
safer substitute, but they’re nowhere near as grand! Most videos will
tell you to get a fine (0) steel wool, but I’ve noticed that the fine steel
wool is difficult to light if the weather is cold, windy and/or the air
is moist. Extra-fine (00) has never given me a problem. Stick to 00,
000 or 0000 grades of steel wool.
• Lighter/Battery (required) - So the sparks come from setting
the steel wool on fire and spinning it around. Why would I need a
battery you ask? (Someone did not watch any of the videos on the
link I provided.) If you don’t have a lighter, rubbing the terminals of
a 9-volt battery can spark the steel wool. If you put the battery in a
sock, you can ward off anyone trying to steal your camera! (Can you
tell I was born and raised in Brooklyn?)
The Technique
If you’ve ever taken long exposures or tried light painting, you
pretty much know the basics of shooting steel wool photography:
• Compose - Set up your tripod and compose your shot. I usually
compose my picture as if I am shooting an urban or landscape style
shot and add my steel wool as the main component. A dark blue
sky compliments bright burning fire very well. Moving clouds or
water in the background will also add another component to your
photograph.
• Expose - Set your ISO, aperture and shutter speed to expose
the background to your liking. I recommend setting the aperture
between F7.1 and F13. Apertures at F16 or higher can start dimming
the steel wool. Setting the aperture lower than F7.1 may make it
difficult not to overexpose.
• Loosen - No, not you! Well okay, maybe you want to stretch.
When your done, unravel and loosen up that piece of steel wool. It
usually comes in a densely wound pad. If you keep it that way, it will
be more difficult for oxygen to get in those fibers and help it burn.
Loosen it until you can see through it, but don’t rip it to pieces.
• Stuff - Stuff the steel wool into the whisk, but not too much. Too
much steel wool in the whisk will make the steel wool dense and
harder to burn.
• Attach - Clip the end of your dog leash to the loop on the
handle of the whisk. Deciding where you want the sparks to go will
determine how you spin the leash.
Now you’re ready to light your steel wool and take a picture. Try
spinning for a second before you trigger your camera shutter. This
way you can have a perfect circle in the final shot, instead of seeing
a light trail where your whisk was laying on the ground.
Quick Tips
The clothing you are wearing can change your image. Darker
clothing won’t show in a long exposure picture in the dark. Light
clothing will reflect a lot more light. Also, wear loose layers of
clothing in case a piece of steel wool hits your shirt. Loose clothing
is quicker and easier to remove. Also, don’t wear anything valuable.
Burning steel wool can leave little holes in your clothing that you
might never even notice while it’s happening.
Goggles are a really good idea to protect your eyes. A hooded
sweater might help to protect eyes and hair too. Especially if you
use Aqua Net. Oh yes, I went there!
Find a spot that has a non-flammable structure and direct your
sparks towards it. The light from the sparks will define the shape of
the structure or object.
Fin
Remember to be creative with your steel wool as well as your
location. I urge you to make sure you follow all of the safety
measure I have provided. And as always, practice. You’ll never
master anything if you don’t practice.