Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Photography and portraiture - Why did the camera bang like a cannon a long time ago? The explosion was loud and the smoke was rolling.

Why did the camera bang like a cannon a long time ago? The explosion was loud and the smoke was rolling.

Magnesium powder, to be exact, can also be doped with a small amount of aluminum powder.

Magnesium is an active metal that is easily oxidized. It can react slowly with air to produce magnesium oxide in the air. If magnesium powder is ignited in the air, it will burn violently, accompanied by intense light and heat (aluminum powder will also react violently with oxygen at the high temperature of magnesium powder oxidation reaction, releasing intense light and heat). In early cameras, the photographic performance of the negative film was not as good as it is now, and it was necessary to illuminate the subject with strong light to achieve better shooting results. Therefore, early photographers used magnesium powder to make luminescent substances in flashlights. This property of magnesium and aluminum is also used in military flares.