120829-N-HW977-040 NORCO, Calif. (Aug. 29, 2012) Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Corona Division Microwave/Electro-Optic (MS32) Electronics Engineer Daniel King aligns various optical components using visible lasers. Under the Navy Metrology Research and Development Program, NSWC Corona’s E-O Group has developed and patented two calibration standards for support of laser designator and rangefinder test sets. The Laser Transmitter Support Standard (LTSS-300), a calibrated laser energy and pulse width source, is used at variable high power levels for 1064 nm, and the Dual Wavelength Low Level Laser Radiometer (D-ESR), which ensures accurate measurements of pulsed lasers at 1064 nm and 1550 nm wavelengths, keeping ordnance on target and reducing the cost of maintenance for the fleet. (U.S. Navy Photo by Greg Vojtko/Released)
The subject, an expert in the design of laser calibration equipment for the Department of Defense, needed some photos for a PowerPoint presentation, providing us the opportunity to see if we could make this happen.
Nuts & Bolts: Main light was a Canon Speedlite on the keyboard of a laptop at left, while another speedlite was placed out of frame at right to illuminate the equipment arranged on the optical bench. Once the subject saw the flash, he activated a smoke machine, using the wired remote in his left hand, wafting smoke across the stage during the remaining eight seconds of the exposure. The photo required quite a bit of teamwork: We had others in the darkened room helping us, one working the lights and another waving a sheet of foamcore to dissipate the smoke between exposures.