Chapter 246

6/25/2010

Hoosick Falls Jamboree

action sequence in still frame

Father's Day Picasa folder 16 picture link

Above link to an on location morning photo shoot with Tony, just for kicks. This opening shot is composed in your head to give a sense of the overall theme. You want the capture the main subject to tell the story. Eliminate unnecessary background distraction while still including foreground objects that are relevant to give context and a sense of the action scene.

You attempt to keep Tony in sight holding a steady 45 mph with the right hand throttle and braking with right foot whilst maintaining balance and keeping an ever vigilant eye on the approaching car and the biker ahead. Should these objects change course suddenly, you have to ditch the camera and take evasive action. Keep one eye on rear approaching traffic. Somehow remove cam from belt holder. Hold in left hand, punch on-button with 3rd finger. With the third eye visualizing the LCD display to ensure you have zoomed to the proper composition you make a quick check for lighting as the sun comes back out from behind clouds. Squeeze gently with second finger on shutter for prefocus (holding cam body with 1st finger and 3rd and thumb- (keeping little finger in air so as not to close down the flip up flash assembly) then let it rip- The rest is easy for the camera processor to shoot out the infrafred signal to determine focal distance, shutter speed, f-stop while optimizing the proper ASA film speed setting, etc.

Post editing was minimal for this case as much of the shot was composed properly, although depth of field of focus was lacking. With the wind, vibration and giggling my prefocus had pointed downward to perhaps 15 feet ahead on the ground. It's excusable as a I had to contort my arm up and behind my helmet in order to capture the picture elements. Again, this is not for amateurs. The larger danger though was riding solo thru the Hell's Angels chapter on the way back down Rte 7 toward Troy.

Many of the other shots came out much better, like my self portrait in Tony's goggles, at speed. This link to Sorel's Diner in bucolic North Hudson Falls should take you right to street view showing the motorcycle crowd. I photographed the interior at Tony's urging. This trip a mere blip of the throttle and a poor excuse for the photo journal Tony has not retrieved of our Laconia adventure, nor will. As we hurry scurry thru life, there be little time to live- or to savor the moment.

We did have family gatherings in the pm. note: Tony's son Adam fresh off hot air balloon ride in nearby Cambridge.