Break Dance

[Pete Askew]

While I seem to be in colour mode, here are a few shots of the fair that's currently in Potsdam. A RF is not really the ideal camera for this type of shot. You just need to choose a focus then follow an object and shoot when it looks like it might be in the right place - tricky when the ride swings both left and right while spinning! Still there were 3 out of 10 that I lied so here they are. The last is my favourite and closest to what I was trying to get but I like the serious looking driver in No. 2 and the lady in sunglasses in No. 1. In contrast to English fairs people were wandering around on the platform surrounding the ride even though it was spinning at a frantic speed.

Leica M9 / 35, 1.4 (f1:11 / 1/60s). PP in LR, PS and Nik.

 

[Darren Turner]

i feel sick just looking at this ride, maybe the out of focus bits making me feel dizzy.....!! Great effect though gives you a real sense of speed.

 

[Pete Askew]

The worst thing about it was that although the whole lot was hurtling around counter-clockwise the 'cars' themselves either spun clockwise or counter-clockwise totally at random and were on some sort of eccentric arms so they could actually go backwards for a second. Made panning them very difficult but goodness knows what it must have been like to be in one!

Mind, these two seem pretty unfazed and almost look like they are having a casual chat!!

 

[Thomas brookes]

Pete I love bloody love these!! Number 3 for me with farther and son. I really like the vibrancy and the busyness it all adds to the effect I can smell a mix of semi cooked burgers and 2 stroke from the generators already!!!!

 

[Brian Moore]

The colours are amazing Pete. Excellent stuff.

 

[Hamish Gill]

Erg ... another idea someones had that i think "why the bloody hell didnt i think of that"
Im going to be stealing this idea in due course as i would echo toms comment and say I bloody love these!
Especially the third, as tom says ...
It just sits best, and the relatively mundane colour of their clothes sits really well against the brightness
1 & 2 are good, but 3 is a clear winner for me the first 2 just dont sit nearly as well ... do you know what i mean?
I like the person in the glasses to the left of the first one saying that ... she looks so calm, but maybe its just fear?

 

[Paul Lange]

Great colours and compositions mate, if a bit hard to stare at for too long! With all of the various bits in and out of focus scattered across the image it give loads to look at.

 

[Pete Askew]

I agree. As I said the third was my favourite too and the closest to what I was trying to get. All a bit hit and miss regards composition and content though as it was moving far too quickly to see exactly what was in the frame. Luckily the eshutter response on the M9 is pretty well instant so that helped a bit but getting the focus point exactly where you wanted it was nigh on impossible. Just had to keep panning the cars and shooting when it looked like there was something in the right place. I guess a video of my movements would have been fairly amusing!!

 

[Jim Kuo]

I also love #3, nice pan on the rotating subject, I can only imagine how very difficult it was.

 

[Hamish Gill]

I can't wait until the big crap fair on bonfire night now ... I might actually enjoy it! I might even enjoy the god damn Christmas fair!