Sparking the Spirit of Belfast

The Story Behind Sparking the Spirit of Belfast

The initial impact comes from the energy of the sparks. Look a little longer and their circular movement begins to echo the sweeping curves of the Spirit of Belfast sculpture. Then comes the question: how was this created in the middle of Belfast on an ordinary Saturday night?

The photograph grew from a gathering of photographer friends who meet whenever we can, usually a couple of times each year. We had created steel-wool photographs together before and understood that it was naturally a collaborative process: one person spins the steel wool while the others operate their cameras during the long exposures.

Working together also gave us some reassurance in a busy city centre at night, with each of us carrying valuable camera equipment.

Finding the Composition in Corn Market

We had not arrived with this exact photograph planned. We walked through Belfast scouting possible locations before stopping at the Spirit of Belfast in Corn Market.

Standing in front of the sculpture, we discussed how its intersecting curves could work with the circular trails produced by spinning burning steel wool. The sculpture would not simply be a background—the movement of the sparks could become part of its form.

With around five tripods positioned directly opposite the sculpture, there was limited freedom to move around. I settled on a straight-on, symmetrical composition at 25mm, placing the circular centre of the sculpture at the heart of the frame.

An Unexpected Conversation with the PSNI

Before collecting our equipment, we saw a police vehicle passing Corn Market during its patrol. We waved the officers down, initially causing them to wonder whether we were reporting an incident.

Chris explained our idea: steel wool would be placed inside a kitchen whisk attached to a line, ignited and spun within the sculpture. During a long exposure, the individual sparks would become continuous trails of light.

As he described the process, the officer sitting in the back became intrigued and thought it was a cool concept. After listening to the plan, the officers gave us the go-ahead and continued their patrol.

We returned to the cars, collected our cameras and tripods, and prepared the shot.

Eight Minutes and Eleven Exposures

Each photographer stood ready with a finger on a remote shutter release. Chris told us when he was prepared, ignited the steel wool and began spinning. Each burn lasted only around six to eight seconds before the steel wool was consumed.

Between 21:56 and 22:04 on 11 October 2025, I captured 11 exposures. Nine successfully recorded the trails of the burning steel wool.

As the sparks swept around the sculpture, people who had been socialising in Belfast city centre began gathering to watch. Some stopped to ask what we were doing, turning the shoot into an unexpected public spectacle.

The police vehicle eventually returned on another round just as Chris used the last of the steel wool.

Selecting the Final Photograph

The previews on the back of my camera showed that I had the ingredients of a worthwhile image, but I reserved judgement until I could examine the files properly on my laptop. With night photography, the camera screen is too small to assess the fine detail, distracting figures and balance of the highlights and shadows confidently.

I quickly narrowed the nine successful exposures down to two. The alternative contained a stationary passer-by who remained clearly visible throughout the long exposure. A shop window had also recorded a smaller reflection of the spinning sparks, creating a second point of attention that distracted from the sculpture.

This frame was the clearest expression of our original idea. The sparks form a dense circle within the sculpture, radiating beyond its outer curves while leaving the Spirit of Belfast recognisable. Trails sweeping across the paving give the composition a base, while the single moving passer-by is softened by the exposure and cannot be identified.

The final photograph was captured at 25mm on a Sony a7 IV with a Sony 16–35mm lens. The four-second exposure was made at f/14 and ISO 100.

Returning to the Original RAW File

Almost eleven months later, I returned to the original RAW file while preparing the photograph for the S Black Photo relaunch. Rather than relying on its earlier edit, I rebuilt it from the RAW file, carefully refining the colour, contrast and local adjustments while remaining faithful to what we created in Corn Market that night.

I left Belfast that evening with a mixture of excitement and disbelief. What began as a conversation between friends had become a collaboration involving curious spectators and an unexpected encounter with the PSNI.

The result is a photograph that presents Belfast with energy, creativity and a little sense of the unexpected.

Bring the Spirit of Belfast Home

Sparking the Spirit of Belfast is available as a fine-art photography print in a selection of sizes. Choose your preferred size above to see the price and order your print.