Explosive art: Photographer 'shoots' everyday objects for pellet gun project

They say you're not supposed to play with your food, but Alan Sailer produces stunning images by firing pellets at fruit and veg.

Captured at just one millionth of a second, Alan managed to snap the exact moment the 600mph pellet blasted through carrots, coconuts and cashews.
 
Alan, 58, uses a high-powered air cannon to fire the pellet at different objects ranging from fruit and veg to Christmas decorations.
 
He said: 'The explosions are created by firing projectiles - usually a steel ball - from a high power air cannon. By high power I mean about as deadly as a 22 rifle bullet.
 
'I just want to see something amazing. Since all the action in these pictures happens faster than the eye can see, stopping that action at the critical point using camera and flash allows me to see that hidden moment.'

 To capture these quick pictures, Alan uses a homemade high speed flash, which fires a light burst that is one millionth of a second long.
 
The flash stops the action just long enough for the camera to capture it.

The original device was designed by Harold Edgerton in the late 1950s. Alan built his own version of the flash mechanism as the commercial units which do the same were too expensive, and began taking his foodie photos soon afterwards.

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'I get about one out of every ten tries. Either I miss the moment or the moment is boring.
 
'I often get people who think I really love blowing stuff up. Unfortunately I don't. I enjoy getting interesting pictures and in this case it means blowing stuff up.

'The techniques I use are not inherently safe and I have to spend a lot of time worrying about that.'