At the end of February, I made a two-plus day trip out and back to Washington, D.C. for meetings. I had a few hours scattered here and there that weren't totally programmed, so I took walks with my Panasonic LX-7. Over the years, I've spent quite a bit of time there with bigger and better cameras in tow. This time, I kept it simple and decided to focus on the tourists being tourists.
That would make me a tourist photographing tourists being tourists. It's like a hall of mirrors that never quite ends. If someone looks at this post, they will have added a layer of voyeurism that stops several steps short of actually taking a photo.
I've spent enough time in D.C. that I can navigate the streets on foot and the subway system without getting lost. I stand to the right and pass on the left. I have a favorite Asian restaurant (Rice), a favorite Vegetarian restaurant (Science Club), favorite walking routes and people watching zones and a favorite bookstore. I talk to people in D.C. daily and have dark suits that blend in. I don't really think of myself as being a tourist when I am there.
That is an illusion. My rambling is just another kind of tourism.
The people above might as well be me: lone street photographers out looking for something interesting to shoot. Were they in D.C. for work? Did they travel for pleasure and let the rest of the family hang out someplace warm? I personally hate being trapped in a hotel room and I am not a coffee house or sports bar kind of guy.
The truth is that I like wandering alone with my camera. I enter a flow state in which many hours pass until I notice that I am tired, thirsty and hungry. I love my family, but we get along better when they don't have me setting the pace with my meandering.
I'm aware of the paradox that I enjoy watching people interact at monuments more than I enjoy being with people interacting at monuments. This is a side effect of having spent hundreds of hours wandering and watching. It is nearly impossible for me to not frame images even when don't have a camera in hand. And so I watch and enjoy.
And sometimes I actually get around to reviewing my images and post them for the world to see. Ultimately, I've decided that other people seeing my photos really doesn't matter that much. I could try and compete with the flood of amazing and sometimes enhanced photographs floating around Flickr, Google+ Communities, DPReview, Instagram, etcetera; but ultimately I would judge my images as coming up short.
No matter. I experienced taking the photos and remember what it felt like (cold and windy with no warmth from the February sun) and a few souls have come along for the ride. If you have read this far, thanks for being one of them.
A blog about all kinds of vintage technology from simple mechanisms of the late 1800s through electronics and robotics of the 1980s. Many posts will be typecast and some will be off topic bits from everyday life. The blog will wander and meander with my quasi-evolving and ever changing interests.
Showing posts with label photography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label photography. Show all posts
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Thrills and Spills at Dead Girl Roller Derby
In this episode, the Nerd clan spent a great evening watching the Dead Girl Derby "Love Hurts" competition at Hale Arena in Kansas City. Now in its fourth season, this is the second league for Kansas City. The Roller Warriors moved from the concrete of Hale Arena to a wood floor at Municipal Auditorium. We like the speed and chaos of concrete and being able to sit within a few feet of the ring. Besides, Hannah's best friend has a step-mom skating under the moniker "Venus Envy" for the Deadly Sirens.
This is a flat concrete track with plenty of speed and potential for gravitational harm. We love the seats right by the track! You might notice from the angle I shot from that we were within ten feet of the outside line. It also happens to be the spot where someone taking a bad line or getting pushed out will coming skidding or flying. Claire and I were hit by and out-of-control skater within five minutes and had a few near misses through the evening. This is so unlike the last time I went to a Nascar race and watched cars from a quarter mile away. They just go around, and around and around... meh.
Being able to feel the breeze and get little shots of adrenaline makes for great entertainment!
Unfortunately, accidents happen. Spills are common, but teams focus on bringing up players and teaching them to fall on the pads. It appears this girl blew out her knee. Like in soccer and skiing, ACL injuries can and do happen.
While the Dead Girl Derby is arranged in teams, the players all practice together and participate in "Zombie" or "Throwback" bouts where they are assigned to random sides. While playing teams, they fight to win, but it is one big family. The sportsmanship is one of the main reasons we enjoy derby so much.
For the curious, I shot the evening with a Sony NEX-6 and 55-210mm lens on manual mode at 125th second and F6.3. This is a slow lens, but decent performance at ISO 3600 makes a big difference. I turned off face recognition as it was over-riding manual settings and adjusting the exposure, badly. Sony's optical stabilization works very well.
With a deep depth-of-field, it is hard to isolate individuals. Just for fun, I shot in the "Toy Camera" mode and like the results.
P.S. I've hit a record for the number of hits on a single post on the same day. Thanks for visiting! Dead Girl Derby is new to us so I did a quick search and tagged on some links for your viewing pleasure:
The Kansas City derby scene is thriving as seen at http://kcderbydigest.com/
Google images turned up an injury recuperation post. Derby is a sport and these are tough athletes:
http://www.cookingonskates.com/2011/12/healing-journey.html
Copyright Notice: These image and words are my intellectual property and are not to used, distributed or repurposed without my express permission. Yeah, such a drag. I shoot for fun, but my stories are mine. Feel free to link here or share on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or the social mixer of your choosing and share the love.
Lead Jammer Heaven. This Jammer is pacing ahead of the pack. When she catches up later, the chaos begins again as lapping leads to more points. |
Being able to feel the breeze and get little shots of adrenaline makes for great entertainment!
Blocking in action. Some players take up a lot of space. |
Yep, that's a legal block. Dead Girl Derby isn't for sissies! That's Dir-T-Diana in the red helmet. |
Lots going on in this image. You can see the Shotgun Sheilas in black forming a defensive wall while the Jammer gets a push towards an open hole on the inside. |
Getting a little tight out there! |
This happens a lot. |
Coming around the outside...it's an unusual player that can take up that much space at speed. |
The action is fast with at least four refs watching. The Lead Jammer is indicated by pointing with the other arm up. |
Breaking out at the start of a jam. |
While the Dead Girl Derby is arranged in teams, the players all practice together and participate in "Zombie" or "Throwback" bouts where they are assigned to random sides. While playing teams, they fight to win, but it is one big family. The sportsmanship is one of the main reasons we enjoy derby so much.
Another spill. |
Someone is about to get a little taste of the defense. |
The Jammer on the inside is in kind of a tight spot. |
Number 19 in this shot is the Lead Jammer. She just used a sign to declare the Jam complete. Everything then resets at the start line. |
Victory! |
Again, one happy (and bruised) family! |
With a deep depth-of-field, it is hard to isolate individuals. Just for fun, I shot in the "Toy Camera" mode and like the results.
P.S. I've hit a record for the number of hits on a single post on the same day. Thanks for visiting! Dead Girl Derby is new to us so I did a quick search and tagged on some links for your viewing pleasure:
The Kansas City derby scene is thriving as seen at http://kcderbydigest.com/
Google images turned up an injury recuperation post. Derby is a sport and these are tough athletes:
http://www.cookingonskates.com/2011/12/healing-journey.html
Copyright Notice: These image and words are my intellectual property and are not to used, distributed or repurposed without my express permission. Yeah, such a drag. I shoot for fun, but my stories are mine. Feel free to link here or share on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or the social mixer of your choosing and share the love.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
We're Still Here! Mayan Apocalypse, Denied!
The robot army is victorious and the Mayan Destructors have been purged! The victors shall have their spoils!
They perhaps don't look quite as menacing in color. Just saying.
The end of hostilities was recognized with the issuance of a presidential peace medallion patterned after one of the originals found at the Arch museum in St. Louis. The Mayans have declared a truce until the next time their calendar runs out. The have a few pyramids to rebuild in the interim.
Behind the Scenes of Mayan Apocalypse Week
Thanks everyone for taking part in the madness that was my Mayan Apocalypse week! It was a fun project and a nice way to break a blogging dry spell. As is the norm, this did not start with a script or storyboard. My 12-year-old did the original drawing of the Mayan Destructor at my request. Simply put, I can't draw. The rest of the story meandered from there. I put together three entries; including this one, before we left the Kansas City area for St. Louis. I love the scheduling feature on the Blogger platform.
You might have noticed a cameo appearance by the Christmas Squirrel. Without his adept leadership, all would have been lost! Late last year, the origins of the Christmas Squirrel were detailed in loving care here.
Copyright: Yes, all of the photos and words are mine. Reposting or pinning photos requires placing a direct back to this website and a citation for Dwayne F. of Vintage Technology Obsessions. Commercial use is not allowed.
This little guy worked hard. He deserves a Thin Mint! |
The end of hostilities was recognized with the issuance of a presidential peace medallion patterned after one of the originals found at the Arch museum in St. Louis. The Mayans have declared a truce until the next time their calendar runs out. The have a few pyramids to rebuild in the interim.
Behind the Scenes of Mayan Apocalypse Week
The elaborate set and the form of the Destructors are revealed! Only one commenter picked up on this being an Oliver 9 playing the face of evil incarnate. |
Thanks everyone for taking part in the madness that was my Mayan Apocalypse week! It was a fun project and a nice way to break a blogging dry spell. As is the norm, this did not start with a script or storyboard. My 12-year-old did the original drawing of the Mayan Destructor at my request. Simply put, I can't draw. The rest of the story meandered from there. I put together three entries; including this one, before we left the Kansas City area for St. Louis. I love the scheduling feature on the Blogger platform.
You might have noticed a cameo appearance by the Christmas Squirrel. Without his adept leadership, all would have been lost! Late last year, the origins of the Christmas Squirrel were detailed in loving care here.
Copyright: Yes, all of the photos and words are mine. Reposting or pinning photos requires placing a direct back to this website and a citation for Dwayne F. of Vintage Technology Obsessions. Commercial use is not allowed.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Robot Army Assemble!
Friday, September 14, 2012
Buggies in the Night - KC First Fridays
I've blogged many times on the joys of First Fridays in the Kansas City Crossroads art district. September was a particularly good month. Every gallery I walked into had strong exhibits, the weather was nice and there was plenty of good people watching. To top it all off, I was treated to an impromptu car show!
Imagine this: you've just watched a graffiti wall going up on a gallery front and it is 10:30 at night. As you begin the trek to the parked car (a boring but efficient Prius), you hear the characteristic roar of a hyped up VW engine and see a dune buggy popping a wheelie at an intersection.
Welcome, my friends, to Dwayne's fantasy world!
This was a club run for KC Buggies taking advantage of the nice weather for a cruise. They stopped at the Kansas City Star parking lot to regroup and help fix mechanical issues with one of the modified VW bugs. Of course I had to take photos and had a nice chat with the current leader of the pack. She had one of the buggies that's all roll cage and engine.
The buggy below is a wheelie specialist. Minus passengers, the front end can be lifted with one hand.
The light show is a nice addition. If you are going to cruise the city in an open machine, you might as well do it in style!
The original bugs look really choice stripped to their bare essentials and then pimped to within an inch of their lives.
For car and street shooter geek me, this was a great end to an awesome evening of wandering around. I started in the West Bottoms hunting cool junk and ended with colorful buggies. It's all good!
In case you are wondering, all photos were taken with a Canon 60d with a Canon EF 50mm f1.4 lens at ISO 1600. There is no Instagram trickery. The Star parking lot is surrounded by a brick wall with intentional gaps. I framed some of the vehicles through the gaps to get the Polaroid look without resorting to digital effects.
Bonus shots: here is the aforementioned graffiti mural in progress. I can't wait to see the result.
Not only is this a legal mural, but at least one of the artists was actually wearing a respirator.
About the pesky thing known as Copyright: I, Dwayne F., own these bits of digital intellectual and creative properties. These photos may not be used, altered or posted without attribution. The photos may not be used for commercial purposes of any manner without my express written permission. Yeah, copyright is so last century. I suppose you could buy your own equipment and wander the streets for hours looking for interesting things to shoot. Just sayin".
Imagine this: you've just watched a graffiti wall going up on a gallery front and it is 10:30 at night. As you begin the trek to the parked car (a boring but efficient Prius), you hear the characteristic roar of a hyped up VW engine and see a dune buggy popping a wheelie at an intersection.
Welcome, my friends, to Dwayne's fantasy world!
This was a club run for KC Buggies taking advantage of the nice weather for a cruise. They stopped at the Kansas City Star parking lot to regroup and help fix mechanical issues with one of the modified VW bugs. Of course I had to take photos and had a nice chat with the current leader of the pack. She had one of the buggies that's all roll cage and engine.
The buggy below is a wheelie specialist. Minus passengers, the front end can be lifted with one hand.
The light show is a nice addition. If you are going to cruise the city in an open machine, you might as well do it in style!
The original bugs look really choice stripped to their bare essentials and then pimped to within an inch of their lives.
For car and street shooter geek me, this was a great end to an awesome evening of wandering around. I started in the West Bottoms hunting cool junk and ended with colorful buggies. It's all good!
In case you are wondering, all photos were taken with a Canon 60d with a Canon EF 50mm f1.4 lens at ISO 1600. There is no Instagram trickery. The Star parking lot is surrounded by a brick wall with intentional gaps. I framed some of the vehicles through the gaps to get the Polaroid look without resorting to digital effects.
Bonus shots: here is the aforementioned graffiti mural in progress. I can't wait to see the result.
Not only is this a legal mural, but at least one of the artists was actually wearing a respirator.
About the pesky thing known as Copyright: I, Dwayne F., own these bits of digital intellectual and creative properties. These photos may not be used, altered or posted without attribution. The photos may not be used for commercial purposes of any manner without my express written permission. Yeah, copyright is so last century. I suppose you could buy your own equipment and wander the streets for hours looking for interesting things to shoot. Just sayin".
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