How to take a camera-toss photo

I hadn't a clue re: what a "camera-toss photo" was until I read Ryan Gallagher's tutorial, brought to us by the redoubtable Steven Leckart, in the December 2009 issue of Wired magazine.

Here's the drill:

1. The camera: One with manual controls works best. Start with a shutter speed of between one-half and one second. If the image is too dark, lower the f-stop to increase the aperture. Too bright? Use a higher f-stop.

2. The subject: Target a few bulbs or candles at least 3 inches apart (any closer and the lights will bleed together) and position yourself about 3 feet away — enough distance to keep the lights in the frame.

3. The toss: It can take up to half a second for the shutter to engage after you press the button. Time it so the shutter opens just as the camera launches. Altitude? Six inches should do the trick.

4. The spin: Experiment. End-over-end creates linear patterns. On-axis gives you spirographs. Feel free to go nuts; should your camera take a spill, it's the perfect time of year to ask for a new one.

5. The shot: Upload your best camera-toss images to Flickr with the tag "wiredcameratoss" and a CC license. We'll check them out and post our faves at wired.com/magazine/cameratoss.