High-speed photography captures moments that happen too fast for the human eye to observe — a water splash frozen mid-air, a liquid impact at the precise moment of maximum drama, a product collision captured at its most dynamic instant. Rico Ploeg has specialised in high-speed photography for decades, using professional Broncolor flash systems to achieve results that most studio setups cannot replicate.
In a standard photographic setup, the camera shutter controls the exposure time. But in studio high-speed photography, it is the duration of the flash — not the camera shutter — that determines how motion is frozen. The shorter the flash duration, the sharper the result.
Rico's Broncolor studio flash systems are capable of extremely short flash durations, measured in fractions of a millisecond. This allows fast-moving subjects — splashing water, falling objects, exploding materials — to be frozen with complete sharpness. Combined with the ultra-high-resolution imaging capabilities of Rico's camera system, the results are images with both technical precision and visual impact.
Broncolor is one of the few professional flash manufacturers capable of producing extremely short flash durations at full power output. Rico's Broncolor system — including the Para 222, Picolite and a range of specialised light shapers — makes it possible to produce high-speed images that are both technically sharp and beautifully lit. This combination of speed and light quality is what distinguishes professional high-speed photography from basic freeze-motion techniques.
During the 2007 3FM Serious Request charity campaign, Rico used high-speed photography to freeze dramatic water splashes in mid-air for a campaign themed around access to clean drinking water. The production was filmed by television crews and broadcast as part of the Serious Request coverage. View the full case study →
High-speed photography uses extremely short flash durations or shutter speeds to freeze fast-moving subjects — such as liquid splashes, impacts or falling objects — with razor-sharp clarity.
Rico uses professional Broncolor flash systems capable of extremely short flash durations, which freeze motion more effectively than camera shutter speed alone. This allows subjects moving at high speed to be captured with complete sharpness.
High-speed photography is ideal for liquids, splashes, impacts, falling objects, food ingredients, beverages and any subject that moves too fast to be captured sharply with standard studio flash equipment.