1 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: Get in touch with technology with tech Stuff from how 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com. Hey there, and welcome to tech Stuff. 3 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:16,599 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Jonathan Strickland. I'm an executive producer with 4 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,119 Speaker 1: how stuff Works in a love all things tech, and 5 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,920 Speaker 1: it's time for another classic episode of tech Stuff. This 6 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: episode about slow motion film and high speed photography, originally 7 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:32,159 Speaker 1: published on October third, two thousand eleven. Wow, I've been 8 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: doing this a long time. So this episode is where 9 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: Chris Pallette and I take a close look at the 10 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: technologies behind slow motion film and high speed photography, which 11 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:45,480 Speaker 1: are closely related. What is necessary to make those works, 12 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: specifically in the world of film, more so in film 13 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:52,560 Speaker 1: than in video. So I hope you enjoyed this classic episode. 14 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: Today we wanted to talk about high speed photography and 15 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: slow motion. Both of these have to do with changing 16 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 1: film speeds and shutter speeds and all this kind of stuff. 17 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 1: To really talk about how this stuff works, we have 18 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:11,960 Speaker 1: to go a little bit more basic. We have to 19 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: actually talk about the principles behind photography and how a 20 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 1: camera works. And before we really get into this, How 21 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: Stuff Works has dozens of great articles about photography, including 22 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:28,040 Speaker 1: articles about how high speed photography works and how burst 23 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: photography works, both of those written by John Fuller, but 24 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 1: we also have how cameras work, how photographic film works. 25 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:36,679 Speaker 1: So if you want to learn more than what you know, 26 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 1: we're gonna kind of cover the basics. But if you 27 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: really want to know the true science and chemistry and 28 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: physics behind how cameras work, I highly recommend you check 29 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: out those articles because they will answer a lot more questions. 30 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: We're gonna try and kind of cover the basics here. 31 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 1: So so let's, uh, let's talk about what a camera does. 32 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: It's seems kind of silly to say because we're most 33 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: of us are really familiar with cameras. And by the way, 34 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 1: I should point out also that we're really focusing on 35 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 1: film film. See what you did there, It was completely 36 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:13,079 Speaker 1: not on purpose. Um, we're talking about film cameras mainly 37 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: in this podcast as opposed to digital. The two different methods. 38 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:19,799 Speaker 1: You know, you get the you get a result that's 39 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: similar using these two methods. You know, you get an 40 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: image of a moment in time in both ways, but 41 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: the actual mechanics behind film versus digital are very different. 42 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: So we're specifically looking at it's going to say focus again, 43 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 1: looking at film cameras because well, to to try and 44 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 1: cover both would require like a podcast that's twice as 45 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,080 Speaker 1: long as what we normally do, and we only do 46 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: that for Google Plus. Well, UH cameras in general though, um, 47 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 1: and speaking of both film and digital, you're you're you're 48 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: using a series of devices to capture that image. There. 49 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:05,639 Speaker 1: On both film and digital you of course you've got 50 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 1: a lens um and there is uh, the principle behind 51 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,919 Speaker 1: it is to capture the image. On film, you're using 52 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: a a piece of essentially plastic celluloid to that's treated 53 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:22,359 Speaker 1: with chemicals that captures that image. And and a digital 54 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: camera use an image sensor. UM. But you know, and 55 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 1: and there are some similarities. Of course, it has to 56 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 1: do with how fast the camera is firing um and 57 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: how much light you're letting in through the lens um, 58 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: and after that they do differ considerably so with a 59 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: with a film camera, you know, Chris was just talking 60 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: about it a second ago. But what you know, the 61 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: main the medium upon which you are capturing these images 62 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: is film, and film is really just a strip of 63 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: plastic that's been treated with uh, with chemicals that are photoreactive. Yes, 64 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 1: that means that the chemical coals will undergo some sort 65 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 1: of change when exposed to light, so they turned into monsters. 66 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 1: If you've listened to our Solar if you listen to 67 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 1: our Solar Panel episode, you know that we have discovered 68 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: materials that react when light hits it. The photons from 69 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:21,719 Speaker 1: the light transfer energy to whatever that medium is and 70 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:24,440 Speaker 1: you get a reaction. In this case, the photons are 71 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: able to change the chemical properties of the stuff that's 72 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 1: on this film. And I really get into that would 73 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: be diving deep into science. We do have, like I said, 74 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:39,720 Speaker 1: the article on how photo, how film photographic film works, 75 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:43,280 Speaker 1: and that explains it. But um to be honest, if 76 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:45,039 Speaker 1: I were to try and go into it right now, 77 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 1: I'm sure I would mess it up because you know, 78 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: my my chemistry is only goes so far. My chemistry 79 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: food is weak chemistry. But at any rate, what this 80 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: this stuff is designed so that when light hits it, 81 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 1: it has a chemical change. Then when you treat it 82 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: with other chemicals, that's what allows you to create a 83 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:09,279 Speaker 1: negative image of whatever it was you were whatever light 84 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: hit it. So this is why when you have film, 85 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 1: people say, you know, make sure you don't expose it 86 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 1: to light before before or after you take a photo, 87 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 1: because if you do, it's going to ruin the image, right, 88 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: because um, the film is going to record the light 89 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 1: from the that that is coming to it through the lens. 90 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 1: So of course, when you put the canister a film 91 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 1: inside your camera and load your camera, you close the 92 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: door which blocks off any light. Um. And then of 93 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: course you have to advance the film after you've taken 94 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 1: a photo. If you if you've ever exposed film more 95 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 1: than once, double exposure, you get a really bizarre effect. Yeah. Yeah, 96 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:54,719 Speaker 1: and it can be very very cool if that's what 97 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: you're going for. It can also be really frustrating if 98 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:58,839 Speaker 1: you were trying to capture one thing in particular and 99 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 1: forgot to advance the film, right. And and we've even 100 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: seen that double exposures go into uh the realm of 101 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 1: people thinking that something supernatural is going on, because you 102 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: do get kind of a ghostly image if you double 103 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 1: exposed film. Yeah. So there have been times where people 104 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: have had just a double exposure, that's all it is, 105 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 1: but because they didn't realize it was a double exposure, 106 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:25,159 Speaker 1: they say, wow, I took this photo of my buddy Bob, 107 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 1: and there's this ghostly face that's appearing over his left shoulder. 108 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:31,839 Speaker 1: That's so creepy and not forgetting that. Oh, before I 109 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 1: took the photo of Bob, I took a photo of Liz. 110 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: It's just that Bob's photo was exposed over Liz's photo 111 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: and now Liz looks like she's a ghost. Actually, I 112 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:43,719 Speaker 1: thought it was because Bob worked at that leaky nuclear plants. 113 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:46,920 Speaker 1: Because we took all those photos over that Indian burial ground. 114 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:50,280 Speaker 1: That was the mistake we made. Anyway, um uh. The 115 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 1: the the idea here is that the camera gives you 116 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: a very controlled way to expose that film to light. 117 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: And the way this works is at first you've got 118 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: the lens and the lens is purpose is to direct 119 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 1: light to the film, So the lens is allowing light 120 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: to pass through. When light passes through a lens, that 121 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:17,400 Speaker 1: actually the speed of the light changes. You know, speed 122 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 1: of light is a constant, but it's a constant that's 123 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: based upon whatever the medium it is that is traveling through. 124 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 1: For example, air, Yeah, air, it's going to travel through it. 125 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:30,559 Speaker 1: Light travels through air much more quickly than it will 126 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 1: a lens. And the curvature of the lens, the thickness 127 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 1: of the lens. That's all going to make the light 128 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: travel at slightly different speeds. The point being that you 129 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: focus all that this light onto a point so that 130 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 1: it exposes just the right spot on the film. Now, 131 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 1: behind that, you've also got a device called the aperture. 132 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:56,440 Speaker 1: Now the aperture is essentially a hole. It's a it's 133 00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: a it's a disk that can expand or contract and 134 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 1: allow more or less light to pass through the from 135 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: the lens to the film. So it's it's a barrier 136 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:09,880 Speaker 1: between the lens and the film. And you adjust this 137 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 1: in order to uh to really kind of tweak your 138 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: photo settings, like with a with a manual camera manual 139 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: single lens reflex camera or SLR manual SLR UH by 140 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 1: the way, in case you're curious, for those of you 141 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 1: who are only familiar with digital cameras, a manual single 142 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 1: lens reflex camera is not electric at all. It's it 143 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 1: uses chemicals and it uses mechanical little gears and things, 144 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,320 Speaker 1: but there's there are no electric components necessarily in a 145 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 1: true manual single lens reflex or at least you don't 146 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:45,840 Speaker 1: have to have any electronica. I think that's so. In 147 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 1: other words, It's kind of interesting because we we take 148 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:51,080 Speaker 1: it for granted now with digital cameras. Right, digital cameras, 149 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:54,440 Speaker 1: you have lots of electronic components, but with a a 150 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:57,319 Speaker 1: an old manual single lens reflex, you're just you, You're 151 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 1: just turning little dials, which is advanced the film. You 152 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:03,720 Speaker 1: might have turn a little crank to rewind film, but 153 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 1: there's nothing necessarily electronic in it. Um of course, there 154 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 1: are hybrids that as well, but anyway, this the aperture 155 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: helps you determine how much light can enter through the lens. 156 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:19,559 Speaker 1: And then you have something else called the shutter, and 157 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 1: the shutter determines how long the film is exposed to 158 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 1: that light. So if you were to take a photograph 159 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:31,719 Speaker 1: with a shutter speed that is a you know, it 160 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:36,080 Speaker 1: allows the shutter to be open longer, then your photo 161 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:39,000 Speaker 1: is going to be a little more blurry, unless the 162 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:43,840 Speaker 1: subject of your photo is incredibly still. So if the 163 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 1: camera is still, and the subject is still, and you've 164 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 1: got a decent amount of lighting, and the shutter is 165 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 1: open longer, theoretically, as long as as long as the 166 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: light's not too great, you will actually get a very 167 00:09:56,080 --> 00:10:01,480 Speaker 1: clear image because it's it's really upturing that uh, that 168 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:03,960 Speaker 1: moment um. Now, if something is moving, then you're gonna 169 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 1: get a blur. So if you've ever looked at some 170 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:10,120 Speaker 1: nighttime photography, especially for like city scapes where you can 171 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: see where traffic is moving through and it's like beautiful 172 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,000 Speaker 1: red streaks on one side of the road and white 173 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 1: streaks on thegether that you know, that's obviously the traffic 174 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 1: where cars are coming and going. That's usually using a 175 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 1: camera with a shutter speed where the shutters remaining open longer. 176 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 1: Sometimes it can be as long as you know, minutes 177 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:34,560 Speaker 1: or or more, and that creates that streaking effect because 178 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 1: all that light is hitting the camera over an extended time. 179 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:42,680 Speaker 1: So instead of seeing individual cars, you're seeing these streaks. Yeah, 180 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 1: this this has basically it's a combination of things. It's 181 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:48,440 Speaker 1: a combination of the aperture setting that you're using to 182 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:53,319 Speaker 1: expose the film, uh, the shutter speed, and there are 183 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 1: cameras that you can manually hold the shutter open uh 184 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:00,360 Speaker 1: as long as you want to. It's often better and 185 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 1: and creating the photos like Jonathan was just talking about, 186 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 1: where you leave it open for minutes, to have your 187 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:09,000 Speaker 1: camera on a tripod and use a cable release, you know, 188 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 1: just so that you don't nudge the camera because otherwise 189 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 1: you're going to uh jar the picture and distort things. 190 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 1: So yeah, it also has to do with the speed 191 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 1: of the film. And uh it's funny because that's sort 192 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:23,560 Speaker 1: of a misnomer and you know, there aren't little canisters 193 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 1: of film moving faster than others. It has to do 194 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:30,679 Speaker 1: with the chemical properties actually the um and again we're 195 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:34,320 Speaker 1: not going to get into the chemistry behind it so much. Um, 196 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:37,640 Speaker 1: but uh, you know, depending on the speed of the film, 197 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:41,440 Speaker 1: you would be able to capture uh photos in darker 198 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 1: environments or lighter environments. Um. Also, the speed of the 199 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:49,839 Speaker 1: film has is depending on on the type of photography 200 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:53,719 Speaker 1: you're doing. If you're trying capture high or fast motion photography, 201 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:58,959 Speaker 1: you're gonna want something that you can expose um to 202 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 1: light more frequently, like a higher speed film. Yeah. Um, 203 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:05,360 Speaker 1: you know, you want something that's going to to just 204 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:08,680 Speaker 1: from a very brief exposure be able to capture an image. 205 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:12,400 Speaker 1: And and by exposure, we're talking about exposing to light. 206 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: You know, just keep that in mind that that exposure 207 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:18,560 Speaker 1: has everything to do with the amount of light and 208 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:21,800 Speaker 1: the duration of light that hits that film. So a 209 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 1: high speed film can capture an image with light hitting 210 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: it for a shorter time frame. And we're talking fractions 211 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:33,000 Speaker 1: of a second here. You know, when we talk about 212 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:35,960 Speaker 1: a short time frame, we're talking really short. We're not 213 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:37,920 Speaker 1: talking like, oh, well, you know a woman thousand two 214 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:40,199 Speaker 1: a dozen Now, you would be able to take hundreds 215 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:42,040 Speaker 1: of photos in the amount of time it took me 216 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:44,079 Speaker 1: to say that, depending on the speed of the film 217 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:47,640 Speaker 1: and the shutter speed and all of this kind of stuff. 218 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:49,720 Speaker 1: Chris and I will have a lot more to say 219 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:52,440 Speaker 1: about slow motion film and high speed photography in just 220 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:54,840 Speaker 1: a moment, but first let's take a quick break to 221 00:12:54,960 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 1: thank our sponsor. So high speed photography kind of leads 222 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:09,680 Speaker 1: us into this. High speed photography is all about trying 223 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:14,199 Speaker 1: to capture, uh an image of something that's moving at 224 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:17,680 Speaker 1: an incredible speed, something that that is moving so fast 225 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 1: that to the naked eye it may be either a 226 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: blur or perhaps even you know, practically invisible because it's 227 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 1: going so quickly. But you want to be able to 228 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:30,720 Speaker 1: capture that moment in time so that you can see 229 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:34,080 Speaker 1: a very distinct image. Well, this is a challenge. You 230 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:35,720 Speaker 1: have to figure out how are you going to do that? 231 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:39,560 Speaker 1: And there a couple of different ways. Perhaps I hesitate 232 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:43,520 Speaker 1: to say the easiest way, but perhaps the simplest way 233 00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:47,600 Speaker 1: is to set up your camera in a perfectly dark 234 00:13:47,679 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 1: room and you just leave the shutter open. Because remember, 235 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:54,960 Speaker 1: even though the shutters open that film, if there's no light, 236 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:58,440 Speaker 1: the film is not being exposed. So you've got this 237 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 1: film that's just sitting there, nothing's happening to it. It's 238 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: not reacting chemically at all because there's no light coming 239 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 1: into the camera. You set up whatever the thing is 240 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: you want to take a photo of, and then you 241 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:15,800 Speaker 1: have it timed out so that the instant that thing happens, 242 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 1: there is a flash of light right that is up 243 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 1: and down in a fraction of a second, and just 244 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:27,120 Speaker 1: that fraction of a second is going to be long 245 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 1: enough for the light to go through the camera and 246 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:33,440 Speaker 1: uh and to expose the film. Then you could advance 247 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:35,480 Speaker 1: the frame and do it again. Now, this is a 248 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:40,280 Speaker 1: very slow, painstaking process, and it requires an incredible amount 249 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 1: of timing. And there are a lot of different ways 250 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:46,560 Speaker 1: of setting up a shot so that the the the 251 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 1: light will trigger at the right moment. Some of them 252 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 1: are acoustically triggered so that there's a noise, and that 253 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 1: noise causes the light to flash, which automatically exposes the 254 00:14:57,160 --> 00:14:59,120 Speaker 1: film in the camera. You don't have to do anything 255 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 1: to the camera at that point, right, you're not pushing 256 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:05,360 Speaker 1: a button because the camera shutter is already open. It's 257 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:07,320 Speaker 1: only after the light is flash that you have to 258 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:10,600 Speaker 1: advance the film so that you can take another photo. 259 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 1: Otherwise you're going to have a double exposure, high speed 260 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:16,200 Speaker 1: double exposure on this this film, which I think would 261 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 1: look really weird. Um. So that's one way you can 262 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 1: do it. But of course, if you want to take 263 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 1: a high speed photo of something in nature, for example, 264 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:28,320 Speaker 1: the the an example that a lot of people use 265 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: as a hummingbird, because a hummingbird can be its wings 266 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 1: so quickly that with most cameras, if you took a 267 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:37,640 Speaker 1: picture of a hummingbird with a standard camera, it's gonna 268 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:40,480 Speaker 1: look like a bird with two blurs next to it, right, 269 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 1: you won't be able to see the wings. Um. But 270 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 1: if you use a high speed camera where it's able 271 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:49,920 Speaker 1: to move the shutter at a really fast rate, and 272 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 1: you have a pretty well lit environment, then you might 273 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 1: be able to capture an image of a hummingbird where 274 00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 1: you've got its wings perhaps in the upper down position, 275 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:02,280 Speaker 1: and you can get a really clear look at that bird. 276 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:05,080 Speaker 1: But it does require that you have a camera that 277 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 1: can move that shutter speed at a really really fast rate, 278 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 1: and that you have a high speed film that's capable 279 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:17,880 Speaker 1: of taking light for a incredibly brief exposure time and 280 00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 1: convert that into an image. Yeah. You know, UM, if 281 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:27,120 Speaker 1: you're a tech stuff listener normally, UM that we like 282 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:30,640 Speaker 1: to get into the history of things, and I wouldn't 283 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: necessarily have thought of high speed photography is I would 284 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:37,280 Speaker 1: have thought it was a more modern, um, something that 285 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:40,760 Speaker 1: was more modern phenomenon. But really the history of high 286 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: speed photography goes back just about as long as the 287 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:49,080 Speaker 1: history of photography itself. UM. The first example that I 288 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 1: I read about, um uh from a a uh an 289 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 1: article by Lincoln l Endelman, which was William Henry Fox 290 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 1: Talbot's uh AH trial, where he basically exposed a piece 291 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:07,800 Speaker 1: of the London Times newspaper that was on a wheel 292 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:09,879 Speaker 1: that he attached it to, and he was using a 293 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 1: wet plate camera, which is basically a piece of glass 294 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:15,840 Speaker 1: that's treated with chemicals rather than a film camera. Interesting. 295 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:19,360 Speaker 1: I had never heard of that before. There was eight one. 296 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:21,880 Speaker 1: I've heard of the camera obscura, which, by the way, 297 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 1: you can actually build one of those yourself if you 298 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:27,000 Speaker 1: ever wanted to. But I've never heard of the wet 299 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:31,000 Speaker 1: plate camera. That's interesting. He uh and for a flash, 300 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:35,280 Speaker 1: he was using laden jars elimination from laden jars. This 301 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:39,400 Speaker 1: is like the coolest camera ever. Yes, and cumbersome because 302 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 1: you know, you don't really take this thing out to 303 00:17:41,119 --> 00:17:44,240 Speaker 1: go take shots at the family on vacation. I'm out 304 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:46,119 Speaker 1: to the high school football game. Let me carry my 305 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:49,640 Speaker 1: laden jars and wet played carara with me. But I'm 306 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:53,399 Speaker 1: gonna need the team's help setting this up. But he 307 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:56,800 Speaker 1: didn't manage to get a readable photo of the newspaper 308 00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:01,119 Speaker 1: at a shutter speed of one two of a second, 309 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:04,120 Speaker 1: well unexposure speed. Let's say that it actually used the 310 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:09,679 Speaker 1: But you also probably remember Edward mind Bridge. I remember 311 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 1: the name. Yes, yes, he had a famous experiment where 312 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 1: um he had set up a series of cameras too 313 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:19,320 Speaker 1: because there was a challenge. Um. You may have heard 314 00:18:19,359 --> 00:18:24,200 Speaker 1: of this guy, uh um Laden I'm sorry, yeah, I'm sorry. 315 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:27,800 Speaker 1: He may have heard of this guy. Leland Stanford he 316 00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:30,439 Speaker 1: was the governor of California, and he was that that 317 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:32,920 Speaker 1: was the challenge was does a horse pick up all 318 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:35,840 Speaker 1: four of its feet when it's running? And he was 319 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:38,360 Speaker 1: the one my bridge and a lot of people have 320 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:41,640 Speaker 1: seen this, UH seen this series of photos where they 321 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:45,199 Speaker 1: proved that the horse was picking up all four of 322 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 1: its feet because he had a series of cameras and 323 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:49,119 Speaker 1: that the horse was tripping it as it ran by, 324 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 1: and so each camera took photos a different a different 325 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,199 Speaker 1: way of doing it, but they captured a series of 326 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:57,600 Speaker 1: still photos because as the horse was running by, it 327 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 1: took you know, each camera in turn took a still 328 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 1: photo and when you put them all together, you get 329 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:07,240 Speaker 1: essentially slow motion of this horse running. Yeah, and yes 330 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:09,680 Speaker 1: it does pick up all of its feet when we'll 331 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:11,800 Speaker 1: get it, and we'll get into that in a little bit, 332 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:16,960 Speaker 1: because of course the photography does lead into cinematography. But 333 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:19,520 Speaker 1: before we do, I, before we jump into that, I 334 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:21,560 Speaker 1: just want to mention one other kind because I did 335 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:25,720 Speaker 1: mention burst photography when we were first introducing this podcast, 336 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:31,439 Speaker 1: and that that John Fuller, Editor Extraordinaire UH wrote the 337 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:34,960 Speaker 1: article on how burst photography works. First photography works on 338 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:38,240 Speaker 1: a similar principle of high speed photography. Now, with high 339 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,360 Speaker 1: speed photography, you may be talking about taking a single 340 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:44,879 Speaker 1: image and then setting up and taking another single image, 341 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:48,639 Speaker 1: right right, That's like I'm pointing, I'm pointing my camera 342 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 1: at a hummingbird, and I take one photo. Right. The 343 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:53,480 Speaker 1: point of the high speed photography here is to capture 344 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 1: a very accurate still. Yeah, yeah, something that's going to 345 00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:59,680 Speaker 1: be It's really used a lot in things like sports, 346 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 1: you trying to capture capture that dramatic moment where the 347 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:06,800 Speaker 1: quarterback is releasing the hail Mary pass. I'm saying that 348 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:09,560 Speaker 1: right right, because I don't know anything about football or 349 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:12,639 Speaker 1: you know the people who absolutely positively have to have 350 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:15,639 Speaker 1: that shot of the water balloon after the balloon is 351 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:17,960 Speaker 1: broken and the water is still in the balloon shape, 352 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: but for the apple with the bullet through it. But 353 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:22,240 Speaker 1: clearly this sort of that has to happen, this sort 354 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:24,680 Speaker 1: of this sort of event is of course really hard 355 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 1: to capture on film, not just because of the nature 356 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 1: of the mechanics, where you know, you've got to have 357 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:34,119 Speaker 1: a camera with that proper shutter speed and film with 358 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:38,960 Speaker 1: that proper um photochemical reaction speed. You also have to 359 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:43,160 Speaker 1: have insane timing, and even by setting up an automated 360 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 1: system where everything's going to happen automatically, you know, as 361 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:50,160 Speaker 1: soon as the event happens that triggers the camera. Even 362 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:53,080 Speaker 1: that is really difficult to do. So perhaps what if 363 00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 1: you could have a camera that could shoot a series 364 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:58,920 Speaker 1: of photos in a very short amount of time using 365 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 1: that same kind of a principle. Well, that's what burst 366 00:21:02,119 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 1: photography is all about. These are cameras that have not 367 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:08,199 Speaker 1: just the really fast shutter speed and not just the 368 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: special film that's going to to react quickly to a 369 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 1: very brief exposure, but also the ability to advance film 370 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:21,919 Speaker 1: rapidly as you're taking photos. So with a burst photography camera, 371 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:26,359 Speaker 1: it's pulling the film through very quickly, and the shutter 372 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:29,879 Speaker 1: is opening and closing, causing multiple exposures, but you're not 373 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:32,119 Speaker 1: not a double exposure because you're you know, the films 374 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:35,239 Speaker 1: being pulled through as you're as you're doing this, so 375 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 1: that you can take a series of photos in a 376 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:40,160 Speaker 1: brief amount of time, So like in a second or two, 377 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:45,680 Speaker 1: you might take dozens or more photos. And this way, Uh, 378 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:47,640 Speaker 1: the nice thing about this is that you can point 379 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:50,800 Speaker 1: your camera at whatever the event is and just start 380 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:54,359 Speaker 1: shooting photos until you're out of film and you have 381 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 1: a better chance of capturing that iconic moment you're after 382 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:02,240 Speaker 1: as a photographer. Yeah, this is uh, this is one 383 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 1: of those times if if you haven't really done a 384 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:10,320 Speaker 1: lot of work with people who are professional photographers, and 385 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:12,520 Speaker 1: you might be going. Well, last time I bought film, 386 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:15,399 Speaker 1: I only had twenty four exposures on a roll. You 387 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:18,679 Speaker 1: can buy you know, if if you are interested in 388 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:22,520 Speaker 1: doing this, Uh, you can buy whole magazines of film 389 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:25,000 Speaker 1: and you know, attached them to the back of your 390 00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:27,600 Speaker 1: camera where you have a very very long roll, or 391 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:29,880 Speaker 1: you can of course make your own, uh, if you're 392 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:33,760 Speaker 1: so inclined and are good in the dark. I used 393 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:35,480 Speaker 1: to have to do. Actually, I was a newspaper report 394 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 1: for a couple of years, and um, you know, we'd 395 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 1: have a big roll of film and we'd load the 396 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:43,960 Speaker 1: magazines are are the cartridges ourselves And after a while 397 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:46,359 Speaker 1: you get pretty practiced at it. But the first few times, 398 00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:50,200 Speaker 1: UH wasted some film. Um, but yeah, I mean so, 399 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:53,160 Speaker 1: so this is sort of one of those times when 400 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:56,600 Speaker 1: digital cameras sort of have an advantage because now that 401 00:22:56,640 --> 00:23:02,640 Speaker 1: we have bigger memory cards, and better digital photography. Um, 402 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:05,760 Speaker 1: the digital cameras are are so much easier and more 403 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:10,120 Speaker 1: cost effective uh than than film cameras in this regard. 404 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:14,080 Speaker 1: But the burst photography is amazing, especially if you are 405 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:17,560 Speaker 1: you know, it allows you to set up and have 406 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:22,120 Speaker 1: a much better shot at getting your shot than than 407 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:25,520 Speaker 1: just just clicking and hoping that you got it. Yeah. Yeah, 408 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:30,000 Speaker 1: Well this kind of leads us, like I said, into cinematography, 409 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:35,440 Speaker 1: using film to capture images in motion where you are 410 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:38,280 Speaker 1: going to play it back so that you have the 411 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:42,160 Speaker 1: illusion of motions. So remember film as in like I'm 412 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 1: going to the movies to watch a film is the 413 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:50,120 Speaker 1: the illusion of movement, and it works because we capture 414 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:53,639 Speaker 1: lots of images and then we put them in order 415 00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:57,880 Speaker 1: and we uh we expose our eyeballs to those images 416 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:04,600 Speaker 1: very in rapid succession, and that creates the illusion of movement. So, uh, 417 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:09,640 Speaker 1: the typical film projector will playback film at a rate 418 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:12,479 Speaker 1: of around twenty four frames per second, which means that 419 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 1: every second that passes, you're looking at twenty four images. 420 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:20,680 Speaker 1: Twenty four photographs essentially is what that is. So you're 421 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:23,600 Speaker 1: looking at twenty four photographs in a row per second. 422 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:26,879 Speaker 1: And because of that, it sort of gives this. It 423 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:29,720 Speaker 1: gives this the illusion of the things that you're looking 424 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:32,400 Speaker 1: at are really moving. It's not that you're looking at 425 00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:36,239 Speaker 1: instances that are put together. It's like it feels like 426 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 1: a flowing motion that has no no real interruption to it. 427 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:43,360 Speaker 1: I think it's interesting to note too that when you're 428 00:24:43,359 --> 00:24:46,560 Speaker 1: you're saying twenty four frames per second, that's each frame 429 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:50,919 Speaker 1: is on a second. That seems pretty fast, But in 430 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:54,520 Speaker 1: my research on high speed photography, I saw mentions of 431 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:58,680 Speaker 1: one of a second. Um of course, that would take 432 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:02,880 Speaker 1: a whole lot of film. Yeah, but you know, it's 433 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:07,600 Speaker 1: it's interesting to note that a second is reasonable enough 434 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:10,000 Speaker 1: to give us an idea of motion and to create 435 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:14,160 Speaker 1: that illusion for us. Before we conclude this classic episode 436 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:17,440 Speaker 1: of tech stuff, let's take another quick break to thank 437 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:28,240 Speaker 1: our sponsor. So, if you have a projector that's going 438 00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:32,000 Speaker 1: to play film back at a steady rate, so let's 439 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:35,480 Speaker 1: let's go with the frames per second, But you have 440 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 1: a camera that can take that can actually expose film 441 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:42,920 Speaker 1: at a variable rate, that's where you can start playing 442 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:47,000 Speaker 1: with the slow motion or fast sped up motion on film. So, 443 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:50,679 Speaker 1: if you've ever watched an old movie, where for comic effect. 444 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:54,439 Speaker 1: Usually characters start moving around really really quickly, you know, 445 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:56,880 Speaker 1: like there's a chase scene and suddenly everyone's running at 446 00:25:56,880 --> 00:25:59,960 Speaker 1: a speed that doesn't really look natural. Well, the sack 447 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 1: playing yakety sacks may very well be playing did and 448 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:08,080 Speaker 1: that's none of that, um, before I get sued and 449 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 1: uh anyway, yeah, so this this is playing with taking 450 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:15,480 Speaker 1: more images per second and then playing it back at 451 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:19,560 Speaker 1: a steady speed. Um. Now, in the old days, the 452 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:22,840 Speaker 1: good old days of filmmaking, I remember those days, you 453 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:25,840 Speaker 1: had cameras that were hand cranked, which meant that you 454 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:29,960 Speaker 1: had a camera man or camera woman really camera person, 455 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:35,800 Speaker 1: um turning a crank that was squirrels, possibly turning a 456 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:39,840 Speaker 1: crank at hopefully a fairly consistent speed for normal filming 457 00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:43,360 Speaker 1: to advance the film through the camera as it's being 458 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 1: exposed to light, and the idea being that you want 459 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:49,119 Speaker 1: to turn the camera at a good rate so that 460 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:52,960 Speaker 1: when you're projecting it back through the projector it's a steady, 461 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:59,800 Speaker 1: smooth experience. So yeah, so this this camera is not automated. 462 00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:04,840 Speaker 1: It it's it's manpowered, and people are known to be 463 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:09,720 Speaker 1: you know, imperfect, Yeah, not terribly consistent sometimes. Um so, yeah, 464 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:13,560 Speaker 1: if you turn the crank faster than normal, you'd be 465 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:16,760 Speaker 1: exposing more film in the same amount of time than 466 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:19,240 Speaker 1: you would if you were going at your normal rate, 467 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:21,320 Speaker 1: which and when when you're playing it back, remember you're 468 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:25,240 Speaker 1: playing it back at a at a fixed rate. So 469 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:27,640 Speaker 1: if you've captured more images in that amount of time 470 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:32,240 Speaker 1: then normal, then you get the effect of slow motion, right, 471 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:38,119 Speaker 1: because while you've while you've captured maybe say, uh, you know, 472 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:42,439 Speaker 1: forty eight images and then uh you know, so you're 473 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:44,720 Speaker 1: looking at forty eight images over the space of a 474 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:48,439 Speaker 1: of two seconds. Um, if it were played back at 475 00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 1: normal speed, now you're looking at it at one second 476 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:58,760 Speaker 1: while everything starts to slow. Now, that could be distracting. Yeah, 477 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:01,480 Speaker 1: so this is a that's over cranking. Yes, it's when 478 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:06,080 Speaker 1: you're cranking the camera faster than the projection playback speed. 479 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:10,199 Speaker 1: And there's also under cranking where you turn the crank 480 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:13,680 Speaker 1: slower than the projection speed. This causes a sort of 481 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:16,679 Speaker 1: the herky jerky fast motion stuff that you see, especially 482 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:20,879 Speaker 1: in older films, where people start to are moving faster 483 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:22,720 Speaker 1: than they normally could, and often it looks a little 484 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:27,120 Speaker 1: jumpy because you're missing information. Right, the the the more 485 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:30,199 Speaker 1: amount of time you have between when two images are 486 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 1: taken for something that's in motion, the less natural it's 487 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:37,320 Speaker 1: going to look when when you're playing it back right. 488 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:40,400 Speaker 1: Because so if I took a picture of Chris right now, 489 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:43,680 Speaker 1: and then three seconds later took another picture, and three 490 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:46,240 Speaker 1: seconds later took another picture, until I had you know, 491 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:48,840 Speaker 1: two D photos, and I played them back at a 492 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:52,920 Speaker 1: at a regular speed, uh, where it would look really 493 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:55,440 Speaker 1: really jerky. You know, it wouldn't look natural at all, 494 00:28:56,720 --> 00:29:00,520 Speaker 1: and jerky not just because of the subject matter, but 495 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:04,480 Speaker 1: ump bump, So it's only because I've been dried and cured. Right. 496 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: So you may have heard of the term of speed ramping. 497 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:13,120 Speaker 1: Speed ramping is when you in the good old days 498 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:15,320 Speaker 1: it was done by accident, but today we do it 499 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:18,840 Speaker 1: on purpose. Speed ramping is when you change the capture 500 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:24,280 Speaker 1: rate of uh the film or video during a shoot. 501 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:26,960 Speaker 1: And this is where you get those weird effects where 502 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:30,760 Speaker 1: like it's often done in action sequences. For example, let's 503 00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:33,200 Speaker 1: say it's a fist fight between two characters and it 504 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:36,200 Speaker 1: starts out normal, and one character starts to throw a punch, 505 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:38,520 Speaker 1: and just as the characters throwing a punch, it switches 506 00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:41,960 Speaker 1: so it goes into slow motion, and then just as 507 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:45,120 Speaker 1: the punch makes contact with the other person, it speeds 508 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:49,080 Speaker 1: up again and it changes, uh, the the capture rate, 509 00:29:49,120 --> 00:29:52,680 Speaker 1: but the playback rate remains constant. That's what we call 510 00:29:52,760 --> 00:29:57,680 Speaker 1: speed ramping. And there's certain directors who are infamous for 511 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:01,480 Speaker 1: speed ramping. Um. Just you know, if you ever have 512 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:04,440 Speaker 1: seen the movie three hundred or Watchmen, you know one 513 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:06,920 Speaker 1: of the ones I'm talking about use a speed ramping 514 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:10,320 Speaker 1: so much that it's distracting at times for some people. 515 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 1: Other people love it. I personally think a little goes 516 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:19,920 Speaker 1: a long way. I'm sorry what anyway, that they're all 517 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:22,920 Speaker 1: based on the same principle, the fact that if you 518 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:26,760 Speaker 1: keep the playback rate steady and you change the capture rate, 519 00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:30,600 Speaker 1: you can you can make film appear to move slower 520 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:33,360 Speaker 1: or faster. Um. Now, you could also play with the 521 00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:36,680 Speaker 1: playback rate. If you kept the capture rate the same 522 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:39,160 Speaker 1: and you change the playback rate, you would get the 523 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:41,960 Speaker 1: same effect, right you would. You would either try and 524 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:46,160 Speaker 1: display more images per second or fewer images per second 525 00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:49,040 Speaker 1: than normal, and you can get the same fact. This 526 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:50,840 Speaker 1: is a lot easier to do in video than it 527 00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:53,880 Speaker 1: is in film. Sure, sure, but it's funny to note 528 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:58,360 Speaker 1: again that like so many other things in photography, that 529 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:03,240 Speaker 1: the key to slow motion is high speed photography. UM 530 00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:06,480 Speaker 1: To to really get an idea of what's happening and 531 00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:09,720 Speaker 1: slow it down, you have to capture many images so 532 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:13,120 Speaker 1: that you can you can go from image to image 533 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:16,280 Speaker 1: at a slower rate and really get a good idea 534 00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:20,400 Speaker 1: of of the motion and how things are transpiring, uh 535 00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:23,760 Speaker 1: in that image. Yeah. Yeah. If you if you take 536 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:27,920 Speaker 1: an uh a video of something or a film of something, 537 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:30,960 Speaker 1: and it's at eight thousand frames per second and you 538 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 1: play it back on a twenty four frames per second projector, 539 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:36,520 Speaker 1: it's going to take you a long time to get through. 540 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:40,320 Speaker 1: Like even if you only shot for maybe five seconds, 541 00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:42,320 Speaker 1: you know that's gonna take you a long time to 542 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:44,800 Speaker 1: get through those five seconds when you're playing it back 543 00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:46,840 Speaker 1: at a rate of twenty four frames per seconds. So 544 00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:50,960 Speaker 1: then you get this incredible slow motion effect where at 545 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:54,280 Speaker 1: times it may look like nothing is even moving because 546 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:57,640 Speaker 1: everything is. You know, you're capturing such tiny moments of 547 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:01,800 Speaker 1: time that it's hard for us to detect changes until 548 00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:05,600 Speaker 1: they are dramatic changes. And this is where you can 549 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:08,040 Speaker 1: you can see some of those really cool effects, where 550 00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:11,960 Speaker 1: like Chris was saying, the water balloon where you pop 551 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:15,600 Speaker 1: the balloon and the water has retained the balloon shape 552 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:19,080 Speaker 1: for a couple of a couple of split seconds, like 553 00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 1: moments in time, and then you start to see it, 554 00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:27,360 Speaker 1: you know, of course fall uh that that's We've seen 555 00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:31,000 Speaker 1: some really cool footage because of the this uh this technique, 556 00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:34,760 Speaker 1: and you can too if you go to the house 557 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:37,120 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com site. We have a lot of 558 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:42,520 Speaker 1: clips from the Discovery show time warp Um, which was 559 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:44,320 Speaker 1: was really popular a couple of years ago because it 560 00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:49,840 Speaker 1: showed extreme slow motion. Yeah, using amazing high definition slow 561 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:54,480 Speaker 1: motion cameras. They are taking thousands of frames of footage 562 00:32:54,560 --> 00:32:57,680 Speaker 1: per second and then playing it back at normal speed. Yeah, 563 00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:00,360 Speaker 1: and it's just it's absolutely amazing. I and I can 564 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:02,640 Speaker 1: watch them all the time, you know, even the ones 565 00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:04,680 Speaker 1: I've seen before, you know, I can. I can go 566 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:06,920 Speaker 1: back and watch them just because it's so fascinating how 567 00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:08,800 Speaker 1: how well that works. I love the ones where people 568 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 1: get slapped and you just see the face deform slowly. Wow, 569 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:20,320 Speaker 1: that's what happens. Whenever I say anything to anyone that's insane, 570 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:26,680 Speaker 1: I'm constantly can't Yeah, my face is hurting. I got 571 00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:29,400 Speaker 1: slapped just before this podcast. Actually, yeah, but it was 572 00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:33,440 Speaker 1: you that did it anyhow. I never said that it 573 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:36,120 Speaker 1: was necessarily caused by someone else. That's true, that's true. 574 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:38,080 Speaker 1: But yeah, I mean you can you can uh, you 575 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:40,320 Speaker 1: can see that right now. They're they're still up there. 576 00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:42,840 Speaker 1: And I think when we post this will probably I'm 577 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:47,280 Speaker 1: pretty sure there's a playlist we can we can show people. Yeah, um, yeah, 578 00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:49,400 Speaker 1: that just it's just a lot of fun to do that. 579 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:51,160 Speaker 1: And it's a lot of fun to to fool around 580 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:54,120 Speaker 1: with high speed photography just as that, you know, just 581 00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:57,000 Speaker 1: as somebody who is a hobbyist, um, to see what 582 00:33:57,040 --> 00:33:58,800 Speaker 1: you can do with it. And now, granted, if you 583 00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:02,120 Speaker 1: want to get like a really good high speed camera, 584 00:34:02,600 --> 00:34:05,360 Speaker 1: this can be an expensive hobby. Yeah, I mean, if 585 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:09,000 Speaker 1: you're talking about the top of the line uh kind 586 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:12,360 Speaker 1: of set up, then you're you're looking at thousands of dollars. 587 00:34:12,440 --> 00:34:15,080 Speaker 1: So it's not a cheap hobby necessarily, but it is 588 00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:18,200 Speaker 1: really it's really cool. Now and then you know, if 589 00:34:18,200 --> 00:34:21,279 Speaker 1: you're if you're really staging things too, um, yeah, of course, 590 00:34:21,280 --> 00:34:24,040 Speaker 1: then you have got the whole staging costs and stuff. Yeah, 591 00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:26,160 Speaker 1: and you're starting to talk about again, because it is 592 00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:29,919 Speaker 1: a matter of uh, the camera detecting the image and 593 00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:33,160 Speaker 1: and getting synchronized with the the event that you're trying 594 00:34:33,200 --> 00:34:36,359 Speaker 1: to photograph, and um, you know you have to buy 595 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:38,600 Speaker 1: the equipment to do that. We were talking about sound equipment. 596 00:34:38,640 --> 00:34:42,840 Speaker 1: They are setups that require you know that that the 597 00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:47,319 Speaker 1: sound will cause the the camera to fire. And you 598 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:50,439 Speaker 1: know this is again you're having to buy more gear. Um, 599 00:34:50,480 --> 00:34:52,839 Speaker 1: but it's it's it's fun. You can if you can 600 00:34:52,840 --> 00:34:56,440 Speaker 1: afford it. It's pretty pretty interesting stuff. So yeah, this 601 00:34:56,520 --> 00:35:00,680 Speaker 1: wraps up our discussion about high speed photography, slow motion 602 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:04,560 Speaker 1: cameras in general. Film. Uh stuff is really really interesting. 603 00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:07,279 Speaker 1: In fact, it's so interesting to me that when I 604 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:10,200 Speaker 1: look at the complexity of these devices. I mean, the 605 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:14,439 Speaker 1: principle is pretty simple from a high concept point of view, 606 00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:17,360 Speaker 1: but when I started looking at the ingenuity that was 607 00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:22,600 Speaker 1: required to bring a camera into reality, Uh, I just 608 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:25,440 Speaker 1: it's phenomenal to me. Again, It's one of those things 609 00:35:25,480 --> 00:35:28,360 Speaker 1: where we take it for granted now because they're everywhere. 610 00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:32,000 Speaker 1: I mean, we have cameras incorporated into practically every mobile 611 00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:35,279 Speaker 1: device you could think of. But the principles behind it 612 00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:38,480 Speaker 1: and It's just it's just phenomenal amazing that we figured 613 00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:40,879 Speaker 1: this out. Yeah, I mean think aboy, we I mean 614 00:35:40,960 --> 00:35:44,359 Speaker 1: people way smarter than I am. Well, you think about 615 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:47,200 Speaker 1: how the difference in the early cameras that you know, 616 00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:51,160 Speaker 1: de guaro types and and the wet plate type devices 617 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:54,840 Speaker 1: versus the tiny little cameras in our smartphones, you know, 618 00:35:55,400 --> 00:36:00,239 Speaker 1: shoes and everything else. I don't want any shoe cameras well. 619 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:03,160 Speaker 1: That wraps up this classic episode of tech Stuff. I 620 00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:06,719 Speaker 1: hope you guys enjoyed this trip back in time where 621 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:09,600 Speaker 1: Chris Pallett and I looked at slow motion film and 622 00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:12,239 Speaker 1: high speed photography. It was a lot of fun to 623 00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:15,160 Speaker 1: go back and revisit that. I'm actually enjoying going through 624 00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:17,320 Speaker 1: the archives and picking out episodes for you guys to 625 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:20,400 Speaker 1: listen to, stuff that you probably haven't heard unless you 626 00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:23,640 Speaker 1: are a long time listener. If you guys have any 627 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:27,000 Speaker 1: suggestions for future episodes of tech Stuff, send me a message. 628 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:30,240 Speaker 1: The email address is tech Stuff at how stuff works 629 00:36:30,280 --> 00:36:32,480 Speaker 1: dot com. Or drop me a line on Facebook or 630 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:34,840 Speaker 1: Twitter they handle it both of those is tech Stuff 631 00:36:35,040 --> 00:36:38,600 Speaker 1: H s W. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram 632 00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:47,319 Speaker 1: and I'll talk to you again really soon. For more 633 00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:50,000 Speaker 1: on this and thousands of other topics, visit how stuff 634 00:36:50,000 --> 00:37:00,600 Speaker 1: works dot com.