Here’s an archive of classic films by the late Harold “Doc” Edgerton, the pioneer of stroboscopic high-speed photography. The collection includes early experiments featuring hummingbirds, fan blades and falling cats. Though Edgerton’s most ambitious work was done for the Atomic Energy Commission, for which he filmed and photographed early nuclear tests using his own Rapatronic camera system. With exposure times measured in nanoseconds, the results were often eerie and surreal, as when capturing the first milliseconds of atomic fireballs in Nevada.
Also archived, Edgerton’s photographs and notebooks. Via MetaFilter.
Phenomena of pure beauty.
Posted by: jones | January 04, 2010 at 11:42
The shockwaves hitting smoke about 5 mins in is surreal. You wouldn't think smoke would move like that.
Posted by: sk60 | January 04, 2010 at 12:44
What a swizz! The promised video of hummingbirds, fan blades and falling cats was not one film but three.
Posted by: TDK | January 04, 2010 at 13:59
Maybe you were thinking of something from the Edgerton Bizarro Snuff Collection.
Posted by: David | January 04, 2010 at 15:19
TSAR BOMBA (King of Bombs)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2046393742348211186#
Posted by: yonason | January 10, 2010 at 08:45