Photography: The man who stopped time

Harold Edgerton's super-fast flash forever changed how we see the world

I never realized just how much Harold Edgerton’s invention changed not only photography, but also the very way we see the world around us - including the worlds of nature, science, arts, sport and, yes, even surveillance. I grew more and more excited about Edgerton’s work the further I got into research after the National Gallery of Canada asked me to write about him. Please click here to read my article — I’m sure you’ll recognize some of the classic images of time stopped, so to speak.

Harold Edgerton, Bullet (.30 caliber) Piercing an Apple, c. 1964, printed 1977. Dye-transfer print, 24.7 x 30.2 cm. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. © Harold Edgerton/MIT, courtesy Palm Press, Inc. Photo: NGC