Faster than a speeding bullet: Photographer captures split second after gun is fired
- Images captured by Finnish photographer Herra Kuulapaa
- They show the exact moment a bullet leaves a gun barrel
- They are so detailed they are used for research by weapons companies
These beautiful yet terrifying pictures capture the exact moment that a bullet leaves a gun barrel travelling at more than 1,200ft per second.
Part scientific research and part art the pictures were captured by ballistic photographer Herra Kuulapaa using several different cameras to create a high-resolution stereoscopic 3D effect.
His project began seven years ago using a group of amateur shooters in his native country of Finland, but has since expanded to help gun manufacturers figure out exactly what happens as their weapons are fired.
High powered: Here a man fires .44 Magnum, made famous by Clint Eastwood as 'the most powerful handgun in the world', with a shortened barrel for added flame
Deadly: This is the modern-day most powerful handgun, the Smith & Wesson .500, in action
Before: The shooter takes aim with a S&W .500 before pulling the trigger
After: Flames engulf the shooter's hands as he pulls the trigger, with the bullet bending in the air (far right)
Mr Kuulapaa said: 'The sports shooting community all over the world was hungry for information about what happens during the brief split millisecond moment when bullet actually leaves the barrel.
'To create the images we detect an ignition of powder and we then calculate when the bullet is in right place and set up a delay to trigger that takes the photo, there is a lot of sweat and tries before the small details are fine-tuned.
'Our latest method is taking stereoscopic 3D ballistics images, where you can really see the three dimensional structure of the blast and how the gas is flowing.'
Beautiful and deadly: This photo series shows the split seconds before and after a Colt rifle is fired
Kuuapaa attaches a camera to the firing mechanism on the gun and then uses a delay to make sure the picture is taken when the bullet is in precisely the right place
Bang: In this image a pressure bubble can be seen expanding from the end of the rifle as the gunpowder burns orange and the bullet flies away to the left along with tiny lead fragments
Beautiful: As well as providing information to gun makers, the images are also works of art in their own right and can be bought to hang on walls
In the images Kuulapaa captures the alarming moment after the gun's trigger is pulled showing the exploding gunpowder, flames, and bullet frozen in mid-air.
Worryingly a large number of the pictures show flaming gunpowder heading straight back towards the shooter, while other weapons eject their ammunition so fast not all the power has time to burn and appears as a fine spray in front of the bullet.
Kuulapaa often accidentally damages his equipment and lenses thanks to the burning shrapnel and the fact that the camera is so close to the gun.
Stereoscopic: Several cameras taking shots from different angles are used to create these highly detailed images in which the bullet appears to be travelling towards you
Huge: The Desert Eagle uses a huge round that is roughly the same width as the fingers of the man firing it
Small but deadly: By comparison this Benelli pistol fires a much smaller bullet but is much more accurate
Impressive: This formidable looking gun is actually a Glock pistol, just with a huge modification kit strapped to it
On other occasions, while firing particularly powerful weapons, the camera is jogged or dislodged by the force of the blast, meaning a lot of patience is needed to capture the perfect shot.
Other factors such a bullet wobble - where the ammunition doesn't travel straight - and muzzle flash - the amount of flames you get coming out of the barrel - are useful for companies to examine in order to improve their products.
None of this is visible with the naked eye as it all happens in just a fraction of a hundredth of second, far too fast to be detected without profession equipment.
Stereoscopic: If you slowly cross and then uncross your eyes, focusing on the middle of your vision, these images are designed to appear in 3D
Under pressure: The cloud of smoke around the end of the barrel reveals how pressure escapes from inside
Slow motion: This image shows a pressure 'shell' forming around the bullet as it tears out of the barrel
Bullets from an AR-15 rifle can travel at 2,800ft per second, so the time between these two images is miniscule
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Hiten A. Raja
Nairobi.
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Hiten@HitenRaja.com
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