Water balloon burst trigger

[MichaelChang]

<p>This page describes an interesting alternative to triggering a flash for a water-balloon burst photo. <br>

<a href="http://blog.blinkenlight.net/experiments/measurements/foto-trigger/">http://blog.blinkenlight.net/experiments/measurements/foto-trigger/</a></p>

<p>Sound trigger is less reliable as water balloon bursts tend to be more muted, so the author uses a double-pin to sense conductivity the very instant the balloon is pierced. An Arduino microcontroller is then used to select the flash trigger-delay in microsecond increments to dial in the desired instant. </p>

<p>The results are quite pleasing and repeatable. </p>

[MichaelChang]

<p>The "Color Splash" photos in this link appear to use a similar technique:<br>

<a href="http://fotostudio-ritter.de/index.php/galerie/portraits">http://fotostudio-ritter.de/index.php/galerie/portraits </a></p>

[Mark Keefer]

<p>Cool.</p>

[Piranha]

Snaperture is a fully engineered device that can even photograph a balloon popping without any water in it. Check out www.snaperturepro.com

[chazfenn]

There's a simpler way.

Buy some thin single strand electrical wire.

connect one end of each strand to a contact of your strobe's synch cable.

Cut to length where the other end can be taped to the outside of the balloon.

twist together (or tape) about 1 1/2 ~2" a couple of inches from the end.

Strip about 1 1/2" of insulation.

Form both stripped wires into circles (wrap round object, twist ends shut remove object).

Here's how it works (& it does).

When the balloon pops the 2 circles are "whipped" together, shorting the synch to fire the strobe.

You adjust the timing by the distance to the loops from the balloon & the spacing between them.

 

You could also use the same setup to trigger a camera's remote socket.