How to Do High Speed Photography

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Think about high speed photography as something spectacular that is easy to create in your own home, without needing to rent or buy expensive gear. One of the most common examples of high speed photography is a transparent receptacle full of water and piece of fruit that is being dropped in it.

Now, if you wanted to take some footage of that, then yes, you would need a high speed, expensive camera. But with photography, it's quite easier.

Most of you are probably thinking you need a fast sports camera, like the 7D II to shot something like this. While that could offer a more pleasant experience, I assure you it's not necessary. You don't need a very fast camera to shoot high speed photography, because it's a little different than what you'd expect. It's not about having to shoot at 10 fps at all, and here is why.

(Success Tip #1: Learn photography in less time with a simple deck of cards.)

First of all, you're going to need to set your scene. The water glass with fruit dropping is a classic example, but it can be anything else that happens really fast. A standard table should do. Then, it's best to reduce ambient light as much as you can. Make sure you have everything in focus, and if so, turn of the lights completely.

You're going to need two or three flashes, but don't be scared because portable flashes will do the job just fine. Try a simple setup at first, with both flashes pointing towards the subject at 45 degrees. The essence in this kind of photography is not fast shutter speed but fast firing flash. You need a set of flash guns that don't lag and have quick recycle times.

After that, it’s takes a lot of trial and error so make sure you don't use up expensive objects before you have complete control over exposure and autofocus.

(Success Tip #2: Hobbyist or pro, you can eran money with your photos of people with this method.)

Here is a fun video made by Digital Rev. Kai demonstrates exactly how high speed flash photography works. Have fun

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