Here's The Thing ... amagoop

Posted to Flickr on 11 January 2015.

Austin, Texas electronic super-scientist Dr. Bleep (aka John-Mike Reed) was kind enough to let me borrow one of his amazing audio/visual creations, a “Thingamagoop 2” to be specific. It lights up, it makes music and sound, it looks fantastic, and all of the knobs and switches actually do stuff. The Thingamagoop 2 is no longer being produced, so I am so grateful that I got to put one in front of my camera!

You can learn more about Dr. Bleep at Bleep Labs.

Origin

I first laid eyes on a Thingamagoop at a Maker Faire event years ago. I thought it was a striking creation: a distinct visual design coupled with unique audio and tactile qualities. After I took up photography as a hobby, I thought it would be fun to eventually photograph one. So I recently asked Dr. Bleep if he could spare one, and thankfully he agreed.

Setup

The backdrop is a simple black poster board. The Thingamagoop sits on a clear sheet of acrylic that is resting on an elevated black shelf.

Setup

An LED bulb under the shelf shines a blue light onto the poster board behind the Thingamagoop. The large circular diffuser that I typically use can be seen in reflection off the acrylic sheet.

Setup 2

A second light shines a small circle of light on the poster board behind the “antenna light,” backlighting it.

Setup 3

Finally, the corner of a sheet of black glitter paper (not shown) is positioned within the small circle of light to create a bokeh effect.

Alternates

I experimented with different colored backgrounds before deciding on a deep blue.

Alternate

Alternate 2

Elsewhere

The Thingamagoop 2 has also been spotted here:

Mashable

Have you seen this photo somewhere else? Or are you using it yourself? I would love to hear from you! It's always fun to learn where my photos turn up.