[Leica] [IMGs] [PESO]: A story, a question and some acrobats.

[imra at iol.ie (Douglas Barry)]

Good enough, Peter, to give us - well me anyway - a sense of fear and 
awe! I think you did an excellent job given the restrictions of your 
situation. The one of him hanging upside down by his bent feet - with 
not even a glimpse of a safety net - gives me the jitters, just looking 
at it!

Douglas



On 19/04/2022 22:13, Peter Dzwig wrote:
>
> All,
>
> A few days ago I was at Goodwood watching a band on a stage in front 
> of me. I suddenly realised that the framework next to me (which I had 
> largely ignored) was being readied for some kind of spectacle.
> It turned out to be a pair of acrobats on a high wire.
>
> Being a good LUGer I had only my Fuji XE-2 (I don't use the IIIf much 
> and the M3 is being repaired), with standard lens.
>
> The nearest performer turned out to be a free-spinning acrobat 
> suspended from a wire about 10m up. Her colleague was a tightrope 
> walker, with his platform about 20 - 30m from me. Together they put on 
> an amazing show.
>
> It was entirely in the open air on a dark spring night with the only 
> lighting from spots and the nearby stage and at times lots of smoke
> from nearby fires.
>
> Here's a question: What would you have done? Would you (a) just watch 
> the show; (b) shoot and see what happens?
>
> Again, being a good LUGer I chose (b), span the ISO to 1600, set it to 
> Auto and shot. All were in colour, but I have converted to B&W and 
> done a bit of work on.
>
> These are the results (quality isn't that good, but...):
>
> <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PeterDzwig/PESO2011/Acrobats_Goodwood_1_edited1.jpg.html>
>  
>
>
> It opened with her spinning up, she span faster and faster making the 
> wire vibrate which made him shake a little but he stayed on!
>
> <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PeterDzwig/PESO2011/Acrobat_Goodwood_2_edited-1.jpg.html>
>  
>
>
>
> The tightrope walker sets off:
>
> <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PeterDzwig/PESO2011/Tightrope_Walker_2_edited-1.jpg.html>
>  
>
>
> Then advances:
>
> <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PeterDzwig/PESO2011/DSCF2251_Tightrope_walker.jpg.html>
>  
>
>
> <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PeterDzwig/PESO2011/Tightrope_Walker_Goodwood_2_edited-1.jpg.html>
>  
>
>
> Stops and then hangs upside down from the wire!
>
> <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PeterDzwig/PESO2011/Rightrope_walker_upside_down_edited-1.jpg.html>
>  
>
>
> Climbs back on the wire, lays flat along it and starts to rotate!
>
> <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PeterDzwig/PESO2011/Tightrope_Walker_edited-2.jpg.html>
>  
>
>
> (the strobe-like effect is presumably caused by the combination of the 
> spots, the smoke and the camera sensor) and then he stands on his head!
>
> <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PeterDzwig/PESO2011/Acrobats_Goodwood_2_edited-1.jpg.html>
>  
>
>
> Anyway, it was a fun exercise. I hope you like some of them at least.
>
> As always CC&Cs welcome.
>
> Peter