Hydrogen release tests with defined ignition represent one important aspect of hydrogen combustion in a potential accident. This paper shows the application of high-speed cinematography in combination with image processing techniques, the background-oriented-schlieren (BOS) and a difference method to visualise the shape of hydrogen jet. In addition, these methods were also used to observe the ignition and combustion zone on defined initiation. In addition the combustion zone was recorded by a high-speed IR camera. The IR camera was synchronized with a rotating filter wheel to generate four different motion pictures at 100 Hz each on a defined spectral range. The results provide some detailed information that might be used for improving model predictions. (C) 2010 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.