The Image Fulgurator is, roughly speaking, an analog photo camera “working in reverse”. The device enables one to project images on other people’s photographs! The following schematic illustrates quite nicely how this “projector” works:
[ schematic courtesy of Julius von Bismarck ]
The Image Fulgurator was built by German artist Julius von Bismarck. Here’s what Julius says about his creation:
The Image Fulgurator is a device for physically manipulating photographs. It intervenes when a photo is being taken, without the photographer being able to detect anything. The manipulation is only visible on the photo afterwards.
In principle, the Fulgurator can be used anywhere where there is another camera nearby that is being used with a flash. It operates via a kind of reactive flash projection that enables an image to be projected on an object exactly at the moment when someone else is photographing it. The intervention is unobtrusive because it takes only a few milliseconds. Every photo another photographer takes of an object at which the Fulgurator is also aimed is affected by the manipulation. Hence visual information can be smuggled unnoticed into the images of others.
The Image Fulgurator is equipped with a slave flash that is triggered whenever a master flash is fired. Note that if you do not use flash when taking photos, you do not risk getting your photos “fulgurated”. I would say that many people have reacted to this device in an overly negative manner. I believe that the Image Fulgurator is a good idea and that Julius deserves credit for his ingenuity.
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Tags: DIY, Image Fulgurator, Julius von Bismarck, Photography, Technology
June 30, 2008 at 14:45 |
Majorly cool! And there are so many possibilities for it, it’s no wonder people react negatively. The name for the device is oddly fitting. Just think of the possibilities: ‘Fulgurate’?
July 5, 2008 at 04:29 |
Yeah, the name is almost creepy (in a good way). It also seems that “fulguration” in the Medical world has a rather precise meaning:
August 16, 2010 at 20:43 |
By that definition, I fulgurate my fingers frequently when I troubleshoot live flaky LCD monitor inverters.
On a serious note, I’ve wanted something like this for decades! I absolutely HATE having my picture captured in public places, by idiots I do not know. A functional method of embedding a vulgar statement, like “F*** you and your inconsiderate camera” onto those pictures is AWESOME!
My parents thought I’d never put my EE degree to work! Time to download the scats, dig my electronics bins out of storage, and build myself one!