What is Kirlian Photography? Aura Photography Revealed

If you're a curious photographer who likes to explore lesser-known areas of photography, you've probably heard of Kirlian photography. The Kirlian photography technique is a truly extraordinary way of capturing a variety of subjects. Many believe it indicates the aura of people or moving objects. This is why Kirlian photography is a mystery, especially for amateur photographers.

  

Introduction To Kirlian Photography

 

Kirlian photography was officially invented in 1939 by Semyon Davidovitch Kirlian, although it can be traced back to the late 1700s. The Kirlian photography process reveals visible "auras" around the objects being photographedThese photos have been the subject of many legends and controversies over the years. Interestingly, many were originally used to explain the Kirlian phenomenon, put forward by the inventor himself and his wife.

Kirlian photography is relatively simple and doesn't even require the use of a camera. First, a layer of photographic film is placed over a metal plate. Then the object to be photographed is placed on the film. To create the first pose, you must apply a high voltage current to the metal plate. You must then capture the electrical coronal discharge between the object and the metal plate. The Kirlian photograph, which shows a faint, shimmering silhouette around the photographed subject, becomes visible as a result of the film's development.

Although the Kirlians invented this photographic process in 1939, they didn't tell the public about their experiments until 1958. Subsequently, Kirlian photography did not become a well-known phenomenon to the public until 1970.

 

 

Discovery Of Kirlian Photography

 

The way Kirlian photography is explored is quite intriguing. Semyon Davidovitch Kirlian was famous as a very talented electrician and was regularly invited to repair laboratory equipment at various institutions. In 1939 he saw the introduction of a high-frequency electrotherapy device and noticed that there was a small flash of light between the machine's electrodes and the patient's skin.

He was curious about this little flash of light and wanted to photograph it. He began experimenting with similar equipment at home, but replaced the glass electrodes with metal substitutes so he could take pictures in visible light. Although this was a dangerous procedure, he saw pictures of an unusual release of energy around his hand.

 

Development

 

Over the next ten years, Semyon and his wife developed the camera for Kirlian photography. This machine used a high-frequency oscillator or spark generator, which generally operated at 75 kHz.

 

This machine became popular with professional scientists at the time, as Kirlian claimed that the images produced by this machine captured the aura of living beings. With this process, Semyon and his wife took multiple photographs of the leaves of various plants.

They believed that this type of photography could detect plant diseases that could not otherwise be detected. This claim has also led to unsupported claims that the Kirlian phenomenon can provide insight into a person's physical health.

By the early 1960s, Kirlian photography became widely known - everyone was reading about it in newspapers and magazines. Kirlians had a pension and a well-equipped laboratory. In 1961 the first scientific paper on Kirlian photography was published, and many institutions in the Soviet Union wanted to collaborate with Semyon Davidovitch Kirlian.

The popularity of his invention was unstoppable - in 1964 an educational film about Kirlian photography was shown in American elementary schools.