High speed photography is a technique that enables one to capture objects in motion that are otherwise too fast to be captured by a basic camera or seen accurately through the naked eyes. The results you can achieve with this technique are amazing but it takes a good understanding and patience to get the shots you want.
There are various types and examples of high speed photography which require different techniques and equipment. For example, photographing a water drop or a water splash is different from photographing a race car at high speed or splinters in motion. In this brief, we will focus on the basics of controlled high speed photography.
Photo by Premkumar. A | Fotosocial
Fore word
Let’s start with the basics. A photograph is basically a combination of light and exposure. Cameras capture light elements into a film of Charger Coupled Device (CCD). The amount of light captured is controlled by the aperture and shutter speed. This process is called exposure. The faster the shutter speed, the shorter is the time available for exposure. Shutter speeds can have long exposure lasting for hours depending on the capability of the camera or have exposures as short as many thousandth of a second.
Since high speed photography will involve very fast moving objects or elements, the shutter speed should be high and the exposure time short. For this reason, synchronizing the source of light or flash, the shutter and the object in motion is vital.
High speed photography should be done in a dark room because the flash will determine the exposure time.
The equipment
To start with, you will need a camera capable of long exposure and which allows manual focusing. This is because auto focusing won’t work in a dark room and the duration when the flash light comes on will be too short for trigger focusing by the camera. An SRL will be ideal but if you don’t have one and have a normal digital camera, try using modes that allow for long exposure like night scene mode or firework modes.
You will also need a flash unit which can be used on an automatic mode in order to control the duration of flash bursts. Speedlight flashes that often come with the camera brand you are using are ideal since they come with power value options. A tripod is also needed to ensure there are no shakes in your shots. Lastly, you will need the object that is going to be photographed. Water drops are great for starters!
The setup
Your setup will be determined by what you are photographing and there are a few things that you will need to keep in mind when starting out. First, your camera should be very close to the object, say a few inches away and the same principle applies for the flash unless you are using a reflective object. In that case, the flash needs to be boxed or kept behind a translucent sheet. A remote control for your camera will help to achieve shake free photos.
You will also need triggers for your flash. There are various types of triggers like sound and light triggers which you can buy or build on your own unit by doing some research online. If you are dealing with liquids, it is important to have a coloured background but it needs to be blurred out in the images. The background adds flavour to your photos and makes your object more visible.
Taking the photo
Once your setup is ready, it’s time to take the photographs. Start by setting the focus first by taking a few test shots. Once the focus is set, you can commence the experiment with the aim to perfectly synchronize the flash, the shutter and the object in motion and keep at it until you get sharp high speed photographs of your object in motion.
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