Gallery: Conjuring Tornadoes of Light With LEDs and Hula Hoops
Martin Kimbell01Martin Kimbell
To include the stars of the night-sky, the exposure for this image was over 2 hours.
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“I have different sizes and weights of hula hoops which create different effects," says Kimbell about his modded hula hoops.
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Kimbell is happy to play around with pyrotechnics too.
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"If it looks like the hoop went really far, it usually did. The hoop is pretty easy to throw far.” says Kimbell.
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Kimbell uses the simplest tools: hula hoops rigged with LEDs he has wired himself.
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Martin Kimbell has been making light-paintings since 2006.
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Kimbell shoots both B&W and color on his trusty Bronica
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Resembling holograms, some photos are like a cross between The Blair Witch Project and Close Encounters.
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This image is a mere 30 second exposure.
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Kimbell's lights once startled, and then attracted the attentions of, a horse on Dartmoor.
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The stunning photographs have gone viral in the past few weeks, despite much of the work being years old.
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“I’ve simply called the work 'Light art' when I've been pushed to give it a title. 'Light Tornadoes' didn't come from me,” says Kimbell. “I’ve heard a lot of people describe the patterns as tornadoes, but different people see different things.”
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Kimbell doesn't consider this work as part of a series with any closure. He will be making these light artworks for as long as he is able.
