Karo creations - using Karo light corn syrup to create color reflection photographs through glass

Have you seen creative reflective pictures in salons or camera club competitions and wondered how they were taken? Some of the pictures were done using Karo corn syrup. It is quite easy to do and fascinating to create contemporary pictures this way.

Equipment

You will need Karo syrup (be sure to get light corn syrup not dark) or any other thick clear liquid, that will hold its shape.

Any type of 35mm SLR camera will work. A lens that has macro or a close focusing to 1:2 or 1:1 will work out the best. If you don't have one, close-up diopters may be used.

A tripod is essential to cut down on the camera shake. It is also a good idea to use a cable release. A copy stand could also be used.

The lighting source that you will be using is photo flood lights. BCA bulbs may be used for the use of daylight film, or BBA for tungsten film. To be more creative Black Light bulbs may be used with fluorescent backgrounds. The bulbs should be placed in reflectors. Photo reflectors may be used, however, if you do not have any, reflectors with clips may be purchased in the hardware department which work out quite well.

What type of film should I use is the question most asked by photographers. If you are using tungsten light, Ekta-chrome 160 works well. If you are using daylight balanced light, the Koda-chromes, 25 and 64, Ektachrome 100, Fujichrome 50 or 100, are all good choices. Since you are photographing an abstract color and patterns, using film that is balanced to the light source is not as critical. You may find any color shift that you get to be pleasing. It is worth a try since this is an abstract form. The judges are not likely to comment that the lighting source is Off.

You will also need some colored objects to create colors for the syrup. Construction paper, either whole or cut up into shapes, pieces of cloth, greeting cards, pictures, anything at all that is colorful and will not melt under the heat of the lights. The possibilities are endless[

The Set-up

This may require a bit of easy carpentry work. The set up that we use consists of a piece of glass about 12 x 12 inches placed on top of an open sided wooden box that is painted black to absorb the light. The open sides of the box allow for the placement of two photo flood lights and reflectors.

Now for the fun part...Make sure that the glass surface is cleaned well with glass cleaner. Then carefully draw a simple design with swirls or any simple pattern about 2-3 inches on the glass with the Karo. The design can be made usin g either a toothpick or a small measuring spoon, whichever you find easier. The size of the design depends on how close the lens that you are using focuses.

Then you place colorful objects on the bottom or stage of the box, to form a pleasing color arrangement. Turn the photo flood lights on and you will see the colors reflected into the syrup. This allows you to have hours of fun with endless photo possibilities. If you move the objects slightly, you will also create a new color arrangement.

With the camera firmly on the tripod, carefully place the front element of the lens parallel to the glass surface, focusing on the syrup and allowing the bright background to go out of focus. If you see a hot spot on the image, try adjusting the angle of the lights.

The exposure is metered through the camera's metering system. Be sure to use a depth of field that is small enough to keep the Karo in focus, but large enough so that the objects on the stage are thrown out of focus, f5.6 - f 8 works out well. But do some experimenting, that's part of the fun!

Do not leave your Karo pattern on the glass too long (about a half hour is average) because the syrup will start to dry out and form a skin on the top, and you will not get the effect that you are looking for. When you are done the syrup can be cleaned off with window cleaner.

Have fun!

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