Dr. Harold Edgerton

Edgerton born 1903 - 1990; was the first person to use strobe lighting and fast shutter speeds to capture rapid movement. the strobe would illuminate the subject in repeating and rapid bursts of light and make it easier for the camera to see it. this was very popular because it was the first time anyone would have seen still high speed objects ever before.

Here a bullet has been shot at a card from the side and it has ripped straight through it. Edgerton has used intense strobe lights to illuminate the area. This allowed him to used an extremely fast shutter speed  and capture the bullet. This is a documentary piece I think because this was a test of how far photography can be pushed to achieve detail at extreme speeds. The shadow to the right of the card is its own shadow and you can see where it has ripped. I appreciate this image because it is really hard to achieve and a lot of knowledge is needed to perform this task however I dont find it very inspiring because it is not related to fashion or portraiture.

Update:
I could use a fast shutter speed to capture a flying card since as I know someone who can throw cards.