Ted Kinsman is a scientific photographer that specializes in creating images for books, magazines, and television. His particular areas of interest are in x-ray radiography, high-speed photography, Scanning electron microscopy, and time-lapse cinematography. His work has appeared in numerous books and magazines ranging from Discover Magazine to Forbes. Recently his work has appeared on Gray's Anatomy and CSI New York. In addition to running 
B.N. (Bobbie) Sullivan has a strong affinity for the sea and everything in it. She first learned to dive in 1970 and has since logged thousands of dives. A wish to document the marine life she encountered prompted her to learn underwater photography more than 20 years ago. More recently, she began to write about the marine life she has photographed. A research psychologist by profession, she approaches her subject matter with the mindset of a scientist, but targets her writing to a general readership in whom she hopes to foster an appreciation for the ocean and its inhabitants.
B Jefferson Bolender is Training Coordinator of the State of Arizona's
program for disability awareness and assistive technology. Through
her travels she always has a camera at hand to photograph everything
from people to technology and nature. As a teacher of elementary
education, special education and art, her interests include a wide
array of subject matter with an emphasis on documentation with an
artist's eye.
Steve Jurvetson enjoys rocketry and photography and especially the pursuit of both in the Black Rock Desert. Some action photos and video links can be found 
Alex Wild is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he works on the molecular phylogenetics of various groups of insects. He is also a part-time photographer whose images appear in such venues as Ranger Rick, Smithsonian, BBC Wildlife, and even ScienceBlogs.
The pop of a supersonic shred, scattering fins below...
and the beginning of a sparky spiral dance in the sky...
Here's a rare catch of a fleeting midair moment - the forward retention for the solid-fuel motor has failed and so it thusts forward up through the rocket, pushing the parachute and nose cone out prematurely:
Even the little Estes motors can have a forward closure failure, with glorious results:
Sometimes the nozzle pops out the back, lowering thrust dramatically... and triggering premature separation and release of the smoke grenades:
The early parachute deployment creates an aerial u-turn...
and a convenient return close to the launch pad.
Clusters of motors offer more chances of a failure. With this one at DairyAire, one of the J motors exploded through its aluminum casing during airstart ignition. It ruptured the side of the rocket and blasted up through the body:
A fine family flying the flag for the Fouth. =)
The supersonic shreds spread the laundry in a yard sale in the sky, here with a Q motor CATO:
Sometimes they come back hot:
At times, it looks like an arcade game of Missile Command:
And makes you wonder the comprehensive policy on auto insurance:
Comments
Always borrow someone else's car when you go to the rocket meet-up.
Posted by: Greg Laden | June 18, 2009 8:06 AM
True. true. Here's a near miss video with my rental car:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/2902787131
In the HD original, you can see it graze my car by mere inches before putting a divot in the Black Rock Desert....
Posted by: jurvetson | June 18, 2009 1:34 PM