Camera kerfunk

[GTRS Fiero]

Well, I was trying to get pictures of the switchback lighting in both white and amber.  White was easy, but I was trying to catch the amber blinker.  This isn't as easy as you'd expect, because the camera's auto-focus and stuff won't cooperate.  When the light changes colors, the auto-focus has to do its thing.  I took maybe 20 pictures.  I did get what I wanted, but this was an interesting picture I found in the process:


I'm sure I'm getting some details messed up, but someone like TopNotch could probably explain what happened.

[TopNotch]

You could actually get something like that with either a digital camera or a single lens reflex film camera. On the SLR film camera, the focal plane shutter will open all the way and then close for slow shutter speeds, but for fast shutter speeds, it will open a slit which will move from left to right (or vice versa) across the film. Anything that changes during that movement will be caught.
In the case of a digital camera, the CCD will not just come on instantly, but will be electronically scanned from top to bottom (or vice versa), and anything that changes during that will be caught.

[Fierofool]

You can use a digital video camera and then pull a frame from the video.  I've done this a couple of times to catch an exact moment of motion. 

[GTRS Fiero]

I know enoigh about cameras and photography to state with complete authority that I took this picture with my cell phone camera.  I pointed and clicked.

Edit: Oh, and I'm sure that no special lens was used.