Electrocuted Flowers: Unusual Flower Pics Created Without A Camera

Not only were these unusual flower images created without a camera, there is no digital manipulation going on here either. These incredible shots were taken with a very old method of photography known as Kirlian. Well, they were created with that and 80,000 volts of electricity, hence the name of the image series – Electrocuted Flowers. This method of photography is super dangerous and detailed, and artist Robert Buelteman is one of the few people who will even attempt it anymore.

Each one of these unusual flower “photographs” had to be taken up to 150 times to get it just right. After choosing the right flowers, Robert had to make each part of the flower itself almost transparent with a scalpel by slowly slicing away at it. Then with a complex process which involves a diffusion screen, sheet metal, Plexiglas and some liquid silicone, he zaps them with an electric pulse. By the time he gets to this part of the process, we’re talking about art that is as detailed as light going through one strand of human hair. It’s incredibly meticulous and very time consuming. You can read the about the exact process here on Electrocuted Flowers by Robert Buelteman.

There is a really good explanation of Kirlian photography on Wikipedia if you want to check that out. According to that definition, it is also sometimes called electrography, electrophotonic imaging and Kirlianography. There is a graph on that page that describes a typical Kirlian photography setup which seems to be the same one that Robert used. It’s a good thing flowers aren’t “alive” in the sense that they feel pain, otherwise this would be cruel and destructive. However, from an artistic perspective, I can see the beauty in this type of dedicated work. I also know this is probably the only time we’ll ever feature this type of unusual flower art. It’s just so rare.