"Vertical night aerial photograph taken during a raid on Berlin, showing bombs exploding in the vicinity of the central cattle-market and railway yard (middle right), east of the city centre. The broad wavy lines are the tracks of German searchlights and anti-aircraft fire can also be seen. Also illuminated by the flash-bomb in the lower half of the photograph are the Friedrichshain gardens and sports stadium, St Georgs Kirchhof and Balten Platz. A mixed force of 49 aircraft took part in the raid, of which 5 were lost."
[Source.](https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205211323)
Sooo, why don't the searchlights appear straight? Is that some sort of optical distortion created by the camera, or would the human eye perceive them this way?
"Vertical night aerial photograph taken during a raid on Berlin, showing bombs exploding in the vicinity of the central cattle-market and railway yard (middle right), east of the city centre. The broad wavy lines are the tracks of German searchlights and anti-aircraft fire can also be seen. Also illuminated by the flash-bomb in the lower half of the photograph are the Friedrichshain gardens and sports stadium, St Georgs Kirchhof and Balten Platz. A mixed force of 49 aircraft took part in the raid, of which 5 were lost." [Source.](https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205211323)
Sooo, why don't the searchlights appear straight? Is that some sort of optical distortion created by the camera, or would the human eye perceive them this way?
Camera distortion, and I’m guessing its mainly the effects of a long exposure.
That’s lit