This Laser Shutter Photography Rig Freezes Insects In Flight

This Laser Shutter Photography Rig Freezes Insects In Flight


Lacking the technical skills needed to build his own sophisticated shutter trigger system from scratch, photographer Linden Gledhill hacked together a rig of his own using an off-the-shelf system called StopShot so he could snap macro shots of insects in flight.

The results were stunning, so much so that Cognysis, the company behind the StopShot laser triggers, decided to commercialise his creation. Dubbed the IRIG SYS 01, or the ‘high speed insect capture system’, the rig uses a pair of criss-cross lasers and sensors to detect and snap a photo when an insect passes through the camera’s focal point.

At $2300 for the entire rig — not including the camera and lenses — it makes for a very expensive hobby. But the results are absolutely stunning, and given just how many insect photos you’ll find on Gledhill’s Flickr page, there’s no question it works as advertised.


[Cognysis Inc. via PetaPixel]

Pictures: Linden Gledhill/Flickr


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