Bullet time
Also known as multi-camera array, time slice, frozen moment. Category: Photography techniques
Bullet time is a visual effect in which a ring or arc of cameras around a subject captures the same instant from many viewpoints. Played in sequence, the images look like a camera moving around a moment frozen in time. The technique is also known as a time slice or a frozen-moment shot.
The effect depends on precise synchronisation. Every camera must fire at the same moment, or with a deliberate offset for a slow-motion variant, even though different cameras react to the shutter signal with different delays (shutter lag). The number of cameras sets how smooth the movement looks, which is why arrays of dozens of cameras are common.
How PhotoRobot uses it
One PhotoRobot SynchroBox connects up to 8 cameras, and several units can be linked into a cluster, so a single system can fire dozens of cameras placed around a subject – for example 36 cameras around a model jumping on a trampoline, freezing the jump as a spatial shot. This is independent of the MultiCam arch, whose mechanics allow up to 7 cameras at once.
See on photorobot.com
Related terms
- SynchroBox: PhotoRobot multi-camera controller that fires each camera with its own advance; up to 8 cameras per unit, units can be linked.
- MultiCam: PhotoRobot multi-camera arch that captures several elevations at once for multi-row 360 and 3D photography.
- Shutter lag: The delay between triggering a camera and the moment the image is actually exposed.
- Flying camera effect: Video in which the camera seems to fly around the product, made by combining rotation with camera movement.
- On-model photography: Photographing garments or accessories worn by a live model.