water refletction lighting effect ???

[kimmie]

I'm decorating my little boy's room and he wanted an under water theme. I was wondering if anyone knew how to create light that would cast reflections that looked like they reflected off water onto the ceiling and/or walls.

Thanks in advance for your help !!

 

[breezer]

try a dico lighting shop.

there is such a ligh as you require, but i have forgotten its name, hence my suggestion

failing that you could use a flood light

 

[David P]

I have seen this done several times in different ways that might suit, although you'll need to make sure that the installation is safe.

put a narrow beam low voltage dichroic halogen light (the sort you get in flush ceiling lights) so that it shines onto a shallow bowl of water. the effect is to project the ripples, greatly enlarged onto a surface.
for safety you could set up a small fishtank a few feet away from the light source (use a circuit breaker just in case).

buy a small square of mirrored perspex and cut it into random shapes (or smash a mirror if you aren't superstitious). glue thread and a weight onto the back of each, and tie a float (bit of cork) to the top end of the thread. put them all into a fishtank full of water so they bob below the surface. shine a light through the tank onto the wall.

both of these work best when there is something that will disturb the water a bit - like an aquarium air pump.

 

[breezer]

not a good idea for a bowl of water in a little boys room. also water will want changing often to prevent algae build up (water turning green)

 

[shenks]

There are quite a few available such as the Chauvet Abyss, the Abstract Aquaflood (this is the one I have) and numerous others too. Quite often they can be set to colour change or hold a particular colour (such as blue for an underwater effect)

However, since the primary use is disco/DJ orientated they may not be suitable for use in a bedroom due to the noise from the cooling fans and they are also quite bulky. The beam spread can be quite narrow too so you wouldn't get much wall and floor coverage in normal sized room.

I seem to remember there was a make/version which used LEDs and hence needed no coolling fan but I can't remember any of the details.

 

[eggplant]

mabe contact www.gregoryav.co.uk we've used them inthe past for installations but they also do oilwheels which I think might be what you are after.

 

[breezer]

couple of things.

an oil wheel is more from the 60's

i was thinking of

this

It is a water effect, changes colours.

the other thing is the OP is in America, (so your link is no good to them ) and as most Americans seem to do , they post and go.

but lets hope not in this case

 

[eggplant]

didnt realise the location! The oilwheels that gregorys do do produce an effect like your photo (maye they are a "new" oil wheel or just reffered to as such, I also remember them as producing a similar but more hippyfied image)

 

[breezer]

oill wheels can only produce the "hippy" effect that you mention, due to the fact they are filled with.....................

BUT you can get projectors that take different cassettes, but they seem to be hard to find, thy have gone in favour of dmx operated lights with gobos.

always remeber the first time i saw a "helicopter" and thought that was clever

this is the type of helicopter i mean

now with dmx lights twisting and turning who needs oil wheels (or helicopters)