At the other end of flash photography.

[Mr Felix]

One of my little "quests" is to learn how to control other lights/flashes when the shutter is pressed.

This led on to taking pictures of baloones poping, etc.

Reading more about that, it seems some of these are done in darkness and the flash is used to capture the action.

When the baloon pops, the noise causes the falsh to fire and the image is captured by the camera - which is in BULB mode.

Ok, I can see how this works. Kind of like a disco light.

I don't know if that is the ONLY way to do it, but I am sure that the action shots of other things happening in daylight - obviously - can't do it that way.

I have a Canon 550D. There is a jack and I bought a "cable" release which plugs into the camera. This is (I'm guessing) two wires and a switch.

I'm also guessing - though if the assumption before is correct then it isn't that difficult - to replace said switch with some electronics I could make it so when something happens, a signal is sent to the circuit and that tells the camera to take a picture.

I can't be THAT difficult to make.

But I don't want to take too much for granted.

Has anyone here ever done something like that?

Is this the best place to ask - as flash and strobe where I first started asking - isn't the right place for THIS question.


(Been away and come back with more thoughts.)


I am not wanting to use this system of which I am asking to take pictures of exploding baloons.


(Using basic words as the "correct" ones escape me at this time)
I am wanting it so I can set up a system where I can point a "magic beam" at (say) a bird bath.
When a bird comes in to land, the beam is broken and the camera takes a picture of the bird just about to land in/on the bird bath.

I would call it an action shot, but may be wrong.

That is the kind of thing I want to do.


Does this help clarify what I want to do and maybe someone help me build a circuit/understand what I need to do?