In the end we were able to accomplish capturing a high-speed photo of a paintball exploding on a flat surface, and did not accomplish capturing high-speed photos of a paintball hitting other objects.  Every paintball is unique in its splatter pattern. The only thing they have in common is that they make a large mess. Also, each paintball is unique in the way it splits. Shrapnel from the shell comes off in many different shapes and sizes. In setup, we found that it is easier to not have the photogate attached to the gun itself because it can be jarred by the shock of firing the gun. Due to the variability of the gunshots, a sound trigger was not the best choice for capturing the best photos. Our first target, a piece of cardboard, proved unable to withstand the force of multiple high-speed paintball shots. Our second target, a thin piece of Plexiglas, proved the same.