In flight insects 2008 – a set on Flickr.

Capture of flying insects. I use a portable unit with 2 laserpointers for the detection of the flying insects. An second external mechanical shutter is used for superfast acces, because all the digital cameras have a long shutterdelay. Shutterdelay is the time between the command and the real execution of the foto.

All this is controlled by a portable hardware controller. The controller contain a Altera FPGA hardware chip where all the function are programmed. hardware is very fast and powerfull. Camera, external flashes, external shutter, laser scan and detectors, laserpointer for composition all the elements are driven by this controller. To make a foto, first the camera must by stay on by the controller. At this moment no light are entred because the second shutter is closed, but the camera stay in bulb mode and record black ( and some noise if the time is to long!)

Once a flying insect pass trought the 2 lasers, the controller open the second shutter into 5 msec and drive the flashes. The mechanical shutter have a T=1/500 sec but praktical this is 1/250. So the flash need to be fired into this short window. I have all the flashes actief at 6 msec after the laser detection. Camera, flashes all this is set manual.

http://www.pbase.com/fotoopa