People's emotions and expressions when tased with a stun gun

In an extraordinary video, photographer Patrick Hall captured the facial reactions of models as they are tased with a stun-gun. Recording at high frame rate (240 frames per second), the instantaneous emotional reactions are captured in surreal slow-motion. So far, the video has amassed 1.9 million views in just a few days. Take a look.

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The reactions upon being stunned range from cringing desperation to overwhelmed surprise, almost each one ending with a relieved smile once the experience was immediately over.

Posting the video with Fstoppers, an online community for photographers, Hall wanted to create an art project where instead of trying his best to make his subjects feel comfortable in front of the camera, try to capture a moment of their extreme discomfort.

"As a portrait photographer, I am always trying to make people feel comfortable in front of my camera so I can capture a real emotion from them," he wrote. "But what if I was able to make people feel so uncomfortable in front of the camera that I could guarantee an interesting portrait every time?"

Wanting to add to the dynamic, Hall had each model tased by one of their friends or significant others, though witnessed each with opposing emotions during the experience. While the models were anxious up to the point of being shocked, Hall mentioned that those doing the tasing were excited in anticipation of inflicting pain onto their loved ones. The extended portion of the project, featured below, shows reactions of those doing tasing the models.

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As a portrait photographer in his daily life, Hall admits frustration when trying to capture honest emotions from his models.

"They give me all kinds of weird expressions, because they are aware that the camera is in front of them. ... There is no way you can fake your emotions and your expression when you get hit with 300,000 volts of electricity," said Hall in the behind the scenes video.

According to Hall, the models are not actually nude, but wearing garments that reveal their neckline.

"I didn't want clothing to be a distraction. I wanted you to be able to see these images in twenty years and not be distracted by what people were wearing."

The project has been met with controversy however, many commenters accusing those involved as 'sadists' and promoting others to commit violence in order to derive pleasure from the pain of others. Incidentally, the video also serves as a cautionary visual, exemplifying the extreme pain a stun-gun may inflict on a person.

Would you let your loved ones tase you with a stun gun? Let us know in the comments below.