Berlyn Brixner
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Berlyn B. Brixner (b. 1911) is best known as being the head photographer for the Trinity test, the first detonation of a nuclear weapon in July 1945. Brixner himself was stationed 10,000 yards (9,100 m) away from the explosion but had around 50 cameras of varying speeds running from different locations to capture the shot in full motion. Most photographs of the test were set up, arranged and prepared by Brixner.
Brixner's assignment was this: shoot movies in 16-millimeter black-and-white, from every angle and distance and at every speed, of an unknown event beginning with the brightest flash ever produced on Earth.
"The theoretical people had calculated a some 10-sun brightness. So that was easy," said Brixner. "All I had to do was go out and point my camera at the sun and take some pictures. Ten times that was easy to calculate."
At ignition, Brixter remembers "The whole filter seemed to light up as bright as the sun. I was temporarily blinded. I looked to the side. The Oscura mountains were as bright as day. I saw this tremendous ball of fire, and it was rising. I was just spellbound! I followed it as it rose. Then it dawned on me. I'm the photographer! I've gotta get that ball of fire." He jogged the camera up.
One thing more. He said: "There was no sound! It all took place in absolute silence." [1]
[edit] See also
- Jack Aeby – photographer of the only successful color picture of the Trinity Test.
[edit] References
- Robert Del Tredici, At Work in the Fields of the Bomb (Vancouver, B.C. : Douglas & McIntyre, 1987). (Features an extensive interview with Brixner.)
