American artist Alan Sailer takes the whole process of a photo shoot a little more literally than most - using a rifle and a homemade flash system, he captures the shock caused by the impact of the bullet on the object.

The talented California-based photographer shoots everything from Barbie to carrots, with varying success and satisfaction. Here is some of the best of his work, demonstrating that destruction and beauty can be as one.

Here a set of three M&M sweets is blown to smithereens and captured beautifully in the process, as the particles of candy shell flies into the air.