Explore the world of Kirlian Photography!
The most sought after features of Kirlian Photo Labs are combined into one compact instrument.
Simple to operate yet flexible enough to be used by serious students, photographers, and researchers, this system creates stunning Kirlian images.
All control and photography functions are featured on the top panel - the main power switch, momentary contact discharge switch, hi-low frequency range switch, adjustable frequency control, and discharge plate.
This device is designed to work with all 4" x 5" color and black & white sheet film and paper, including Polaroid instant films. The device also allows anyone to shoot Kirlian photographs using standard hand held digital and film cameras, when used in conjunction with an optional transparent discharge plate.
The back panel has a 1/4 jack for optional footswitch.
What is Kirlian Photography?
Kirlian photography is a high voltage, contact print photography. Sheet film is placed on top of a metal plate, called the discharge or film plate. The object to photograph is placed on top of the film. If the object to be Kirlian photographed is inanimate, such as a coin or leaf, a earth ground is connected to the object.
High voltage is applied to the plate momentarily to make an exposure. The corona discharge between the object and discharge plate passes through and is recorded onto the film. When film is developed you have a Kirlian photograph of the object.
A Brief History of Kirlian Photography
Kirlian photography is named after Semyon Davidovich Kirlian and his wife Valentina who began their work with high voltage photography in 1939. Kirlian collaborated with his wife for over 30 years developing equipment and studying electro-photography.
The Kirlian's work was first made known to the general public in this country by a book published in 1970 by Shelia Ostrander and Lynn Schroeder titled "Psychic discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain". Kirlian work became so well know that the field of high voltage electro-photography is called Kirlian Photography.
Although Kirlian wasn't the first to study electro-photography. The field of electro-photography can be traced back to the late 1700s. At this time Georg Christoph Lictenberg noted the pictures made in dust create by static electricity and electric sparks. Nicola Tesla (1880) photographed many corona discharges using his famous Tesla coil. In the early 1900s, Russian researcher Yakov Narkevich-Todka exhibited electro photographs he had made. A little later, Dr. F.F. Strong of Tufts University Medical School used a Tesla coil to make electro-photographs of his hand.
