4K video shows steel wool spitting out embers as it’s spun around in extreme slow motion

Lighting steel wool on fire and spinning it around on a string is a common technique to get incredible looking spirals and orbs in long-exposure photographs.

What isn’t so common is to film in extremely slow motion what this technique looks like. But, thanks to the The Slow Mo Guys, we now get to see in 4K slow mo what it looks like when spinning steel wool fires off hundreds of small embers as it’s spun through the air.

The five minute video shares multiple angles of the light painting technique in action. Distance shots, close-ups and even panning shots that cause the Phantom Flex 4K to be showered with sparks.

Next time you’re out shooting long exposures and spinning the steel wool at real time, remember how incredible it can be in slow motion too.