Great Balls of Fire! by taffy

Great Balls of Fire!

Continuing my "Aeration Station Steel Wool Painting Meetup" theme this week of using photos from our photo meetup at the Harry 'Bus' Yourell Aeration Station to try out the Technique Challenge 3 for split tones.
For this one, the organizer (not a 365er as some have asked, but from a Chicago Exurban Photo Meetup group) lit the steel wool and swung it in circles, but instead of walking along as in the photo from the 21st, he stood in one place and rotated, forming the ball. To me it looked even more dangerous!
For the split toning challenge, I toned black tones with yellow/orange and gray tones with blue/green and left white in the center of the wheel, untouched. I left saturation at the original level. It made the sky a little bluer and the sparks a little cooler/whiter looking than in the original.
Taken on the 20th, processed today.

Original description of the meetup: http://365project.org/taffy/365/2013-04-20
For those who missed it, the technique challenge is described at: http://365project.org/discuss/themes-competitions/17459/technique-challenge-3-split-toning.
Wow these shots are wonderful that steel wool ball looks huge!
April 23rd, 2013  
This is such a cool photo!!! I still don't really understand how to make these... but I'll try it one day.
I absolutely love how this came out. The bridge and the reflection in the water are super cool.
April 23rd, 2013  
Amazing image! I'm wowed! Fab processing too.
April 24th, 2013  
You are the master of these light shots. Love this one!!!!! fAV
April 24th, 2013  
I think I'm going to have to google steel wool painting to understand, but I do know I love the photos you are doing! :) Stunning again.
April 24th, 2013  
Absolutely Amazing! :)
April 24th, 2013  
These shots are so cool- but I'd be like you I think- afraid of catching on fire!
April 24th, 2013  
Excellent capture Taffy. Great processing. I like that you have explained your process in the description... this will help me greatly when I attempt this :)
April 24th, 2013  
another very cool shot
April 24th, 2013  
Beautiful
April 24th, 2013  
Love it, and the reflection in the water is cool, too.
April 24th, 2013  
This is fascinating, love it! And great explanation, very useful :)
April 24th, 2013  
Wow...great shot! I love the split toning effect on the colours.
April 24th, 2013  
@elaine55 @photodude @kerristephens @lisay @lunaksi @kwind @dtigani @olivetreeann @amrita21 @darylo @sailingmusic @pflaume @wwishfulthinking
Thank you all so much for your kind comments about this series. I am learning so much this week -- it's interesting to feel that way when I relaxed my rule about photographing every day. Opening it up to processing and having a series of related shots has been fun. Thank you for not being bored with it! Just a few more to go...
April 24th, 2013  
Beautiful!
April 24th, 2013  
Gorgeous:) I just love the reflection and the toning you chose is perfect!
April 24th, 2013  
Brilliant, looks like a firework display.
April 24th, 2013  
Fantastic !!!!
April 24th, 2013  
This is the one I thought was fireworks! Another incredible work from your outing. Thanks for the link to the technique challenge.
April 24th, 2013  
I really like the look of this! Love all the sparks and the reflections. Wonderful shot!
April 24th, 2013  
this is stunning. would like to hear more about this group! urbanites only?
April 24th, 2013  
I love this one as much as I loved the one from a couple of days ago. Bet you had fun doing this!
April 24th, 2013  
Love this one!!!!
April 24th, 2013  
Fantastic! Someday, I'll have to convince someone to do this so that I can shoot the results.
April 24th, 2013  
Oh my word - stunning and love the reflection.
April 24th, 2013  
Kim
Love the shape of this one and the sparks flying like a fountain!
April 24th, 2013  
WOW! This is awesome. Great job!
April 24th, 2013  
Brilliant shot
April 24th, 2013  
Another incredible shot! WOW! Super amazing!
April 25th, 2013  
@elisasaeter @colie @busylady @jodimuli @barbsmith @emrob @mwbc @fishy @ruthmouch @timandelke @danitech @kimshots @eyesmile @topcat @cjphoto
Thank you all so much! It was such an amazing opportunity to photograph these lights and I appreciate your comments.
April 25th, 2013  
How cool! I love it!
April 25th, 2013  
What a terrific shot.
April 25th, 2013  
Super cool!
April 25th, 2013  
@orangecrush @steampowered @humphreyhippo Many thanks Jerry, Paul, and Humphrey!
April 25th, 2013  
Very nice! I want to do this again!
April 26th, 2013  
Great photo!!
April 26th, 2013  
Fabulous photo! I had recently watched a youtube vid on how this is done! Fav!
April 26th, 2013  
Makes a beautiful steel wool fountain!
April 26th, 2013  
@danielwsc Me too! I still have shots I'd like to post, but it feels like I need to move on. I may post one more...
@breigh Thanks Breigh
@kazlamont Thanks for the fav, Kazzy! I think it's great fun, but would not recommend doing it on your own.
@dauber Thanks RL!
April 27th, 2013  
Gorgeous! This was just the week for steel wool photography. Love your location!
April 27th, 2013  
Beautiful effects here.
April 28th, 2013  
@archaeofrog @boxplayer Thank you Katie and BP!
April 28th, 2013  
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