Sadly, this effect is the hardest to photograph well. This picture was taken during an adventure themed unit party at my church, and it's probably the best picture I have. Reality is very different though. Blacklight is a special type of light that takes advantage of a physical property called fluorescence. In simple terms, when ultraviolet (UV) light hits certain materials, the light gets "slowed down" and is re-emitted as a lower, visable, frequency.
This property of light is used all the time - laundry detergent contains chemicals known as phosphors that exhibit this effect - since sunlight contains UV, it therefore can literally get your clothes "whiter than white" (reflecting/emitting more visible light than hits them!). This helps us do blacklight parties because everyone's clothes glow under it :)
Blacklight is not high-intensity UV, it is not a type of tanning lamp or anything similar. It is similar to the blue lamps used in a bug zapper (used because they attract bugs - they're killed by electrocution, not the light), except a theatrical light is made of a special type of glass called "Wood's glass." This special glass only allows the UV (and some deep violet) through, and because the human eye adjusts to it's surroundings, all you see is the fluorescent emission of materials (the human eye can't see UV). Rest assured that this UV is far less intense than the UV from the sun, and will not cause sunburn or harm.
Now, onto the fun - I own two fixtures with two 40W fluorescent blacklights each - enough to easily cover a moderate sized room for a party or a stage. I also carry blacklight-reactive face painting makeup, balloons, and glitter (yup, blacklight glitter tattoos!). The possibilities for parties and stage productions are limited only by our combined imaginations! For more information on blacklight services and pricing for your event (since each event is so unique!), please call or email me.
Blessings,
Mark
Comic Expressions Face Painting
406-314-0362
Serving Kalispell, MT and the Flathead Valley of Northwest Montana including Whitefish, Somers, Lakeside, Columbia Falls, Hungry Horse, West Glacier, Bigfork, and Polson. Creating goofy giggles, silly smiles, lasting memories and lots of happy times for all!
