Tuesday 25 September 2007

A minor leakage problem.

A UFO, Unidentified Foaming Object
Captured in a deserted country paddock. (Aren't they always?)

[Scene One] A laboratory lunch room, late at night.

One of the signs of a scientist is curiosity.

Back in my early days of chemistry I was also interested in photography. My lab technician was a amiable lad called Tony; such was my interest in photography that I did the photographs at his wedding.

One of Tony's interests in life was shooting.

It is only a matter of time before a scientist with an interest with photography and an off-sider with an interest in shooting start wondering about how they may combine their interests. Especially when we were sitting around during the long and exceedingly dull night shifts.
What, we wondered (as one does), would happen if a can of shaving cream was hit by a shotgun? And could we capture a picture of it?

[Scene Two] A paddock.

A can of Palmolive Rapidshave is tied to a fence post. In one direction is Tony with his 12 gauge shot gun; the cartridges filled with large (BB) pellets. In another direction, at right angles to the first, is our curiosity filled scientist-photographer clutching his SLR camera.
In a third direction, roughly bisecting the first two and out of harms way, were a small group of cows, possibly puzzled but it is never easy to tell with a cow.

On the count of three ...

Bang! Snap! Moo!



For the technically minded: the shot gun had BB pellets (.22in diam) so that a small number of holes were made. Finer pellets would probably just demolished the can.

For those with a good memory: this post is resurrected from the wreckage of A Curate's Egg v1.
...

7 comments:

  1. I'm glad I wasn't sitting on that fence!

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  2. great shot - the photo, I mean! Did you get it the first time, or was there some experimentation with caliber and timing etc?

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  3. We demolished about four cans of shaving cream and three cans of coke. Coke just went to a mist.

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  4. Boys will be boys - WHAT FUN!!!

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  5. HMMM I love the photographic end result!

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  6. ... or did you finish up with a holey cow?

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