DIY High Speed Photography Trigger with an Arduino

As a photographer, if you need to catch some action which is only visible for a split second, you need a high speed photography trigger. With the magic of an Arduino, you can rig one for yourself. We have seen an Arduino-based high speed photography trigger in the past, but here’s a new take on engineering the problem.

The latest project uses a piezoelectric sensor as a sound sensor, a DSLR camera, an external flash, and a few other misc. electronic parts such an an opto-isolator.

A piezo-sensor listens for a trigger such as a sound (like the pop of a balloon) which sets off the external flash. Because the shutter speed is slower than the event, the shutter needs to be kept open in a dark room. All this happens in a smooth cycle in less than a second. Check out more of our photography projects.