Many years ago there was an art show for kids on UK TV which would show a gallery of viewers pictures while playing Left Bank Two. When I got to a year of dancers I thought I should at least put them to music once, but finding something to fit them all would be impossible, so I thought I'd make a musical gallery with that vibe.
Here it is. A year of Fridays & some easy listening.
There's a photography technique I use that I never see anyone else do so it's time I share it. I use it to capture action shots of people... typically dancing.
Most people would handle these situations by zooming in, spraying and praying, or being exceedingly patient for that ONE shot to materialize.
Those strategies were too unreliable for me so I learned to move with my subjects.
I pre-focus the lens for a set distance, wide-angle, full manual, and set the camera against my cheek. I move the camera only by moving my feet. If my subject twists, I twist. If they step toward me, I step back so they stay in focus.
Because I’m not using any viewfinder, my peripheral vision is good. You immerse yourself in the scene. When it feels right you shoot blind. With practice, your shots will line up.
You obviously will need good balance and confident footwork for this. I'm reaching back on years of Shaolin Kung Fu. If you've done dance or martial arts, you can get the hang of this.
Movement strategies have always been a key asset in my #photography techniques.
I was a physiotherapist and did #MartialArts. Understanding how humans moved was a chunk of my life. I developed camera techniques to leverage that background.
I use my legs to position the camera. This isn't "zooming with your feet." It's more like being a human tripod or camera rig. Putting your whole body into the camera makes it easier to keep the lens steady, get set, and then reset for unexpected action happening.
Here's a shot a friend took of me taking a photo with other photographers. I'm the guy in the classic Kung Fu/Tai Chi "horse stance" squat.
Which one of us three is best situated to quickly react if something exciting happened off camera? Much of the way I shoot comes from classic Kung Fu... questionable for fighting, but great for photography.
I'm not suggesting you need to learn Kung Fu to be a better photographer, but to be physically creative with movement strategies you already know.
We've made it to week thirty-five, and I didn't expect them to be attempting the can-can but it's all about self expression. If that's what they want to do, they can give it a go.
As always, have an excellent weekend, if you possibly can (can) 😀
Today in Labor History May 28, 1912: Fifteen women were fired from their jobs at the Curtis Publishing Company, in Philadelphia, for dancing the Turkey Trot. They were on their lunch break, but management thought the dance too racy. The Turkey Trot was a fast dance, generally danced by the members of the youth counterculture, to ragtime tunes, like Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag. The Vatican denounced the dance. Conservatives tried to get it banned. Some dancers were fined by the courts for “disorderly conduct.” In 1913, a conservative reaction song was produced called the Anti-Ragtime Girl. In 1963, Little Eva (of Locomotion fame) recorded a tribute to the Turkey Trot called Let’s Turkey Trot.