High speed photos

[Rhys]

Here're some more of my high-speed photos...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3366/3649582524_00016398ee.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3638/3648771655_f4b95600e7.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2426/3649571244_39d71f2094.jpg

[adam75south]

very cool rhys. have you tried adding water?

[Rhys]

I'll probably have a go with fluids. I was thinking about fluids after I saw the results. The first thing I need to do is to eliminate the light being thrown onto the bottom of the backdrop though. That's a case of removing the white towel from the workbench - lol.

I'm after a faster flash though. 1/35,000th is not fast enough. MIT recommended one of Edgerton's books - which, of course, is out of print. You know you're in a specialist field when the books are horribly expensive or out of print!

[faisal]

Nice shot Rhys....though could you straighten the shots a bit....

Fluids would be a cool idea....

[Rhys]

The wooden post probably isn't exactly level. It's just an offcut that I'm using to stand the targets on. I'll have a look at something more interesting.

[Mark_48]

Ebay had a few hits for Edgerton books and artifacts, a few not unreasonably priced....
http://shop.ebay.com/items/?_nkw=harold+edgerton&_sacat=0&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313&_odkw=edgerton&_osacat=0

And don't discount Amazon for possibilities either. Occasionally used books show up there at a good savings......
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=harold+edgerton&x=11&y=12

A black cloth draped over the wood support would help. Also filling the frame a bit more may help with the fragmentation detail.

I think I would have shot your figurine in the head, neck or midsection. Shooting the foot off is not as impressive :)

The images you posted on your blog are a little larger and more detail of the fragments can be seen. Maybe you could either provide a direct link or just suggest it could be accessed via the link in your signature.

[Rhys]

The problem is that you never know how much fragmentation there's going to be. At the moment I'm shooting with an 18-55 on the basis that if fragments destroy the lens, it's no biggie. I'm just getting into this so I am not entirely sure where the fragments go though it appears that the majority either go forward (toward me) or backward (toward the backstop). The rest of the fragments shower outward.

The wooden stand may well vanish if I can get my alternative method of support to work. I'm taking this a stage at a time, working out what works and what doesn't. The black backdrop is simply black construction paper but I clearly need an opaque background behind it because the bottom right of the window in the top left corner was showing through somewhat. There are no blinds on that window.

As far as the figurine goes, you're right. The trouble is my stand is a fixed height and I'm resting the pistol on a block of wood gripped in the vice. Thus the relative heights aren't easily adjustable.

The Edgerton book I'm after isn't listed on Amazon. MIT last printed it in the 1980s. Needless to say, it was recommended to me today by somebody at MIT. When last published it was $70. I've already got one $70 book on photonics and high-speed photography and I'm getting one on ballistics later today. You might say I've hit an area of special photographic interest!

EDIT: Yay for the wife. She found a copy of the book on abebooks for $48 including postage!

[Rooz]

just spray paint the wooden post black.

[Rasidel Slika]

looks nice, lets see some more!

[Rhys]

looks nice, lets see some more!

Here's one that didn't quite work.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3318/3649586090_74f36ee1dd_b.jpg

The first shot made the groove you see in the pencil. I over-adjusted and the second shot splintered the far side off the pencil. I didn't have a spare pencil to shoot for a 3rd time lucky shot. I intend to stock up with crayons and pencils today. The eventual aim is to cut a playing card in two. I have a load of notecards to practice with :D

Some of this stuff is quite tricky.

[Mark_48]

Whilst you're practicing to get shots right, why not use something instead of the glasses and figurines, save those for when you get the timing and all else nailed.
If your wife has one, borrow the non-stick baking tin she uses for muffins or cupcakes and put about a 3/8" of water in each cup. Toss it in the freezer for the day and you'll have some targets that may throw pieces all over the place, but you won't have to sweep them up. Only problem I can see is how to hold them in place to set them up.

[Rhys]

I don't think anybody has shot ice yet. That sounds interesting!

Actually I got a couple of packs of playing cards in my local dollar shop last night. I'll have a practice with a pack today then maybe tonight I can cut one in two for the camera.

[faisal]

You could used colour water to freeze up.....

[Rhys]

That;s an interesting idea but from experience, when I freeze water, the colder it gets as it freezes, the more the non-water content precipitates out. I'd end up with coloured sludge at the bottom and clear ice at the top.