Referred to as Kirlian photography, the technique dates back to a 1939 discovery (by a man named Kirlian, of course) that when an object is placed on an electrified plate, tiny coronas around the item can cause photo paper to expose in unusual and beautiful ways. Over the years, the effect has been co-opted by various new-age charlatans and snake oil salesmen with claims that the images were indications of some sort of paranormal “aura”. What a bunch of hokum.

Up until now, there wasn’t a good way to produce your own Kirlian images without building your own homebrew high-voltage rig, risking life and limb in the process. The $250 Kirlian Photography Device lets you to make your own electrified images without having to hack together your own. The metal imaging plate can be used with any 4X5 color or black & white sheet film and paper or even Polaroid film. Different film types and frequency adjustments create a virtually limitless array of image effects. You’ll need a 4×5 camera to use this out-of-the-box, or you can spend an additional $99 on a transparent plate which lets you capture the images with a standard 35mm or digital camera.

Now keep in mind that this thing isn’t a kid’s toy. It’s a serious electrical device, and you actually have to sign off on a disclaimer form before you can buy one. For some reason, I doubt these things are UL-approved.

Designed by Germany’s hansandfranz studio, the lamp features a sweeping arc that emits a warm halo of light around its subject. The floor mounted fixture is loaded with hundreds of individual LEDs, embedded into an adjustable aluminum frame. I just love how it creates such a beautiful artistic statement, while being quite practical at the same time.

It’s definitely not for small rooms, but for a big living space, it’s the only thing you’d need besides a chair or two. There’s no word on whether or not this lamp is in production, or if it’s just a one-of-a-kind piece. But if they do decide to crank these out, sign me up.

[via Tendance High-Tech]