Have you ever missed out on witnessing a great moment just because it happened to quickly? Well, scientists in Canada have developed a revolutionary ultrafast scientific camera that might change that.

They believe this camera can lead to breakthroughs in fields like shock wave mechanics and medicine as it can capture images at a rate of 156.3 terahertz (THz) per pixel or 156.3 trillion frames per second.

The swept-coded aperture real-time femtophotography (SCARF) is a research-grade camera which has successfully captured ultrafast events like semiconductor absorption and metal alloy demagnetisation, Engadget reported.

The team is working with two companies, Axis Photonique and Few-Cycle, to develop commercial versions of SCARF which they have already described as “low-cost with low power consumption and high measurement quality compared to existing techniques.”

It can study micro-events that come and go too quickly for today’s scientific sensors.

Professor Jinyang Liang of Canada’s Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), led a research team that published a study in the journal Nature.

The study, which builds on a previous study, focuses on ultrafast cameras.

Typically, these systems use a sequential approach, capturing frames one at a time and observing objects in motion.

However, this approach has limitations, as Liang explained: “For example, phenomena such as femtosecond laser ablation, shock-wave interaction with living cells, and optical chaos cannot be studied this way.”

“SCARF overcomes these challenges,” INRS communication officer Julie Robert wrote in a statement. “Its imaging modality enables ultrafast sweeping of a static coded aperture while not shearing the ultrafast phenomenon.”

She further revealed that the camera uses computational imaging to capture spatial information by allowing light to enter its sensor at slightly different times, allowing it to capture “chirped” laser pulses at up to 156.3 trillion times per second.

The paper described that the camera pulled this off by “using off-the-shelf and passive optical components”.

Marlene Dietrich, 1936

Many of Huene’s subjects during this period were based at Paramount Pictures, including Gary Cooper, Claudette Colbert, Marlene Dietrich, Cary Grant, Carole Lombard, Mae West and the director Ernst Lubitsch. Paramount was regarded as having a strong European sensibility and Huene likely felt at home among this coterie. Here, Huene’s lighting accentuates Dietrich’s sculpted features and prominent cheekbones

Promotion: the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has announced the winners of its annual Concrete in Life photography competition that aims to highlight the “beauty and essential role that concrete plays around the world”.

The winners were picked from 21,000 entries submitted by professional and amateur photographers across the globe, with subjects ranging from skyscrapers, urban cityscapes and transport infrastructure to sea defences and rice fields.

The results were announced this week at the opening of a new exhibition at London’s Brunswick Art Gallery, where more than 100 photographs from the competition’s five-year history went on show for the first time.

The top accolade, Concrete in Life Photo of the Year, was awarded to Saeed Rezvanian for his black and white photograph of a boy flying a kite on the steps of the Teopanzolco Cultural Center in Mexico. Rezvanian received the grand prize of $10,000.

“My photo shows how concrete develops both artistic and functional environments in our lives. I was captivated by the children playing amongst the beautiful structures,” said Rezvanian. “It’s a great honour to win the Concrete in Life 2023 competition.”

The image received praise from the judging panel, with Digital Camera World content director Chris George describing it as “a beautifully framed image and a good use of black and white”.

A new award, the People’s Vote Prize, was introduced this year to mark the competition’s fifth anniversary. Decided by a public vote, the $5,000 prize was presented to Muhammad Murudin for his photograph of the Mandara Toll Road in Bali.

“This toll road is built on the sea that connects the city of Denpasar, Ngurah Rai International Airport and Nusa Dua in Bali,” explained Murudin.

“It is a great honour to be one of the winners of the Concrete in Life 2023 photography competition and show how concrete is an excellent link between people in my country.”

Submissions were divided into four categories, with a winner from each category also receiving $2,500.

Owen Davies was recognised in the Urban Concrete category for his photo of the Armstrong Rubber Building in New Haven, Connecticut, in the US.

Andre Hidayat Arrasuli’s image of the New Priok Container Terminal in Jakarta, Indonesia won the Concrete Infrastructure category.

Alexander Arregui Leszczynska was awarded the top prize in the Concrete Beauty and Design category for his image of the Maurerhalle lecture hall in Basel, Switzerland.

Meanwhile, A P Hari Wibowo was named the Concrete in Daily Life category winner for their photo of the Aquatic Stadium Gelora Bung Karno, also in Jakarta.

“Many congratulations to Saeed Rezvanian, and all this year’s winners. Their outstanding images highlight how concrete is so many things – strong and enduring, but also touching and beautiful, supporting our many lives across the planet,” said GCCA chief executive Thomas Guillot, who helped judge the competition.

“Now, with the public exhibition to mark five years of the competition, we hope as many people as possible get the chance to see for themselves just how impressive the images are.”

The Concrete in Life exhibition is open until 28 March at the Brunswick Art Gallery and is free to visit.

For more information about the Concrete in Life photography competition and to see the winning and shortlisted photographs, visit the GCCA website.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for GCCA as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Taylor Swift’s father will not be charged for allegedly punching a photographer in Sydney, Australian police have said.

Photographer Ben McDonald, 51, told the police that Scott Swift, 72, hit him in the face while disembarking a yacht at Neutral Bay Wharf in Sydney on 27 February, hours after Swift’s final Eras Tour show in the city.

McDonald described the incident as a “punch in the chops” but that he “didn’t require medical assistance”.

After a month-long investigation, New South Wales police have confirmed no further action will be taken.

A statement given to the PA news agency said: “Officers attached to North Shore Police Area Command have conducted an investigation following a report of an assault at Neutral Bay Wharf about 2.30am on Tuesday, 27 February. No further police action.”

McDonald said he had been taking pictures of Swift and her entourage at a late-night celebration when the singer’s security detail put an umbrella in his face to prevent him. He told the BBC that Swift got into the car, after which her father “charged in” and attacked him without provocation.

“It was a shock. That’s never happened to me in 26 years,” McDonald said to AFP.

A spokesperson for Swift told Billboard that two people had been behaving aggressively towards the singer.

“Two individuals were aggressively pushing their way towards Taylor, grabbing at her security personnel, and threatening to throw a female staff member into the water,” they said.

McDonald lodged a complaint with the police following the incident but Scott Swift left the country soon after, when the tour moved to Singapore.

Swift was in the city as part of her ongoing Eras world tour, which she is due to resume in May in Paris. She also has a new album, The Tortured Poets Department, releasing on 19 April this year.

Scott Swift, popularly called “Papa Swift” by the singer’s fans, is often seen as part of her entourage when Swift travels abroad. Fans say he is known for handing out guitar picks and sandwiches to audience members who come to her shows.