String Vibrations

This photograph won honorable mention in the photography category of the sixth annual International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge in 2008. Over 21 countries were represented with more than 180 entries from illustrators, photographers, computer programmers, and graphics specialists. The award is given by the National Science Foundation. To capture the image, Davidhazy tied one end of a cotton string to an electric motor and the other end to a weight. Davidhazy explained, "The vibrating string appeared to have volume in the final image even though it was just a single string whirling in space. This was because the string delivered uneven amounts of exposure to the camera sensor as it rotated depending on whether it was traveling toward, away, or across the camera's lens. This created variations in exposure giving rise to brightness differences in the image. In effect, the moving string had become its own shutter.