# Cool photo- airplane propeller strobe effect **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 13, 2013, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-airplane-propeller-strobe-effect/663400 "2013-07-13T14:41:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-airplane-propeller-strobe-effect/663400/1 "2013-07-13T14:41:38Z")
A friend of mine is a pilot (he flies a King Air 350). A few days ago he took [this photo](http://s197.photobucket.com/user/Bumbershoot-pics/media/Skydiving/Skydive/photo1_zps61732500.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0) which I thought was pretty cool. I asked if I could post it here and he said yes. So here it is! ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-airplane-propeller-strobe-effect/663400/2 "2013-07-13T16:02:46Z")
Cool … ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-airplane-propeller-strobe-effect/663400/3 "2013-07-13T16:09:26Z")
Reminds me of the [Russian anti-gravity helicopter](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh-sf6vwSMc). 😃 . ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-airplane-propeller-strobe-effect/663400/4 "2013-07-13T17:02:38Z")
What is it we are seeing here? Were there multiple exposures? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-airplane-propeller-strobe-effect/663400/5 "2013-07-13T17:07:30Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > What is it we are seeing here? > Were there multiple exposures? [Rolling shutter.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_shutter) It’s a digital camera thing. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-airplane-propeller-strobe-effect/663400/6 "2013-07-13T18:30:03Z")
See also: [propeller shedding boomerangs](http://petapixel.com/2010/08/30/rolling-shutter-causes-plane-to-drop-boomerang-bombs/). ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-photo-airplane-propeller-strobe-effect/663400/7 "2013-07-13T22:34:37Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > What is it we are seeing here? > Were there multiple exposures? > [@runner pat](#): > > [Rolling shutter.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_shutter) It’s a digital camera thing. > [@Malacandra](#): > > See also: [propeller shedding boomerangs](http://petapixel.com/2010/08/30/rolling-shutter-causes-plane-to-drop-boomerang-bombs/). Right; it’s a single exposure (i.e. he only pressed the shutter release button once) but due to the high RPMs of the propeller and the way a shutter works in most digital cameras, an interesting effect is produced that shows different parts of the blades at different points in their rotation.