Time magazine list of the 100 Most influential images of all time is a fantastic collection of visuals that encompass everything from nature, science, celebrities to world changing events. One of the images is the Milk Drop by Harold “Doc” Edgerton, the inventor of modern high speed imaging at MIT.
They have also created a mini documentary to go along with the image that you should check out. See in the link below:
Gavin Free the camera specialist behind the Slow Mo Guys YouTube channel has posted a recent video talking about the difficulties and technical aspects of light gathering for slow motion sequences. The video explains the shutter angle in detail and why it is important for the final look of a slow motion shot. He does so with the help of a Phantom Flex 4k Camera capable of 1000fps at full 4k Resolution.
On other things the 180fps Full HD capable Panasonic GH5 has tarted shipping and currently ships in 1-2 days after order. The camera is also capable of shooting at 4k 60fps continuously at 150Mbps. We have been covering this camera and it is clearly a video powerhouse; read on for more.
The British BBC has always been at the forefront of image techniques that revolutionize our understanding of the nature around us. Planet Earth II is the culmination of millions of hours of work condensed into 6 episodes showcasing the wonders of the natural and human built world. The news site Vox has created some mini segments that explain some of the techniques used to create the series.
Of particular interest is the use of slow motion 4k Phantom cameras, a Sony a7s for low light and the use of an IR sensitive RED Epic camera shooting at up to 300fps in complete darkness. The videos go into camera evolution as well as techniques perfected over decades. We encourage you to subscribe to the Youtube Channel for Vox Here and of course watch Planet Earth II which is a real majestic piece of modern documentary film-making.
Doc Edgerton was the scientist behind the modern high speed camera and imaging techniques. His experiments made slow motion and the possibility of freezing incredibly fast phenomena a possibility. The principles many decades later remain the same such as extreme amounts of light and ultra fast shutters along with a highly sensitive film or sensor for modern photo and video.
As a piece of history, Strobe Alley is a repository of technology and information from the early days of high speed and what it took to get us here. We found an old video that goes through the place with explanations about these aging strobes and gadgets. You can visit this place at MIT’s Edgerton center if you are ever there but you can also take a look through this footage.
A new study released by Georgia Tech led by Alexis Noel, Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. student at that institution has revealed the hidden nature and mechanics of how frogs use their squishy and sticky tongues to eat their prey. With acceleration forces reaching 12 Gs these prey experiment over 4x that of astronauts in a rocket leaving the atmosphere at 3 Gs.
With the use of high speed video cameras at over 1,000fps the study was able to reveal the complex motion, eye retraction and viscous properties of the frog’s elastic tongue while catching prey. The frog uses a mucus like substance on the tongue to generate the stickiness necessary to envelop the insect prey without ejecting them off from the brutal speed and force generated.
Registration has started at Edgerton Center from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the yearly high speed imaging course geared at the principles of shooting and preparing slow motion setups. The course goes deep into the science and art of slow motion video and has access to some of the most capable high speed gear so that students can use and experiment with first hand experience.
Previous courses have been a great success and the imagery coming out of these classes is pretty jaw dropping. If you can attend the course in June this year it could be just what you were waiting for to jump into the slow motion realm. Access to this gear is few and far between for even experienced personnel and videographers; plus learning from experts in the field can come in very handy to get better knowledge about the process.