Village Party

[abraxas]

So, I run a web site promoting the little mountain town where the bubble-blowing contest in this thread

>> http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=86455

I haven't updated the site in 5 years or so and thought I would this year. Here's day one of the 2 day party/festival they're throwing.

I'm not much of a 'people' person, and I definately prefer rocks and trees over humans, so it took a bit (if ever) to get the feel for the difference in settings on the cameras.

I'll start with my favorite blurry shot.

This shot is wierd as all the rest of the shots I tried a sigma 10-20 on. The lense seems to distort people on the fringes into the bizarre shapes I see them as. I enjoyed what I heard.

Everybody loves a clown! However, using the wide angle I didn't realize how close I was to the little girl, she backed up and my foul and disgusting cigarette popped one of the balloons. -- Everybody loves a clown, but, a clown doesn't love everybody. He was really ****ed at me.

Pizza and beer, and people eating pizza and drinking beer.

Is a magic show still magic if everyone can see how you're doing the trick?

The kids really enjoyed the show.

A little music, playing the stuff I like (and I switched lenses).

The rest of the ensemble

This guy rode up on a 5 foot tall unicycle, borrowed the pogo from his friend and launched himself.

He might still be going. (wide angle shot).

Break time.

I took a break too and hung out with the guy with the gun.

We're not much for civil war reenactments in California. What was really cool is that the little canon actually shoots pool balls!

I'd taken maybe 30 shots or so with a couple different lenses and wandered around trying to get a few shots of people eating or something.

I had just suffered through the worst public kareoke performance I had ever heard and a sheriff's deputy came up and said, "I heard you were taking pictures of kids."

I said, "Yes, I am."

"Why?"

"'Cause I want to", I replied, and continued, "Is there a problem with that"?

I'm thinking this is where things might have started to sour.

The sheriff said, "There just might be."

I explained why I was taking shots of young old and all else. I gave him my card and told him I was within my rights.

He asked, "To do what?"

"To take pictures in public places."

"I need your birthdate."

"Why?"

"I'm going run a check on you."

I walked off aways. He followed. --

I stopped, gave him my ID, he wrote it down and proceeded to just about yell into his radio my name and birthdate for everyone in the area to hear.

Although I realize law enforcement (fascism) is a necessary component of government, I still despise authority. I split. Hope the guy is ok regardless- he was shaking badly. My mood was shot.

I'm just getting worse as I'm getting older.

Strange, I might go back tomorrow. I'd like to get some photos of the bed races they have and gunfight reenactments.

 

[JimmyJaceyMom]

Looks like a fun, interesting place to go. I liek the one with all the kids sitting on the ground.
And you know as far as your story goes. The sop was a goof - but what ticks me off is that he said that he heard you were taking pictures of some kids - which means that someone was talking about it like you were some kind of weirdo. That would have been the thing that would irritate me. I understand the need to be safe when it comes to your children but it such a shame that they have to feel so paranoid!

 

[newrmdmike]

me and abraxas . . . dude, judging by what you told that cop me and you would be the absolute worst duo ever . . . i'm the exact same way.

good thing you didn't say the pics were for your website haha.

i've been hastled by several people in the last month to not take photos. i like to stick the camera in their face and shoot away at 5fps for a while. haha. yep me and you might would end up in handcuffs.

 

[abraxas]

Looks like a fun, interesting place to go. I liek the one with all the kids sitting on the ground.
And you know as far as your story goes. The sop was a goof - but what ticks me off is that he said that he heard you were taking pictures of some kids - which means that someone was talking about it like you were some kind of weirdo. That would have been the thing that would irritate me. I understand the need to be safe when it comes to your children but it such a shame that they have to feel so paranoid!

Yesterday was an entirely different experience from the day before. It seems the small town politicos have, 'a pebble in their shoe.' I photographed the parade they had and could certainly tell the Chamber of Commerce members from the rest- they never have liked the fact I promote the little town on my own (see below).

me and abraxas . . . dude, judging by what you told that cop me and you would be the absolute worst duo ever . . . i'm the exact same way.

good thing you didn't say the pics were for your website haha.

i've been hastled by several people in the last month to not take photos. i like to stick the camera in their face and shoot away at 5fps for a while. haha. yep me and you might would end up in handcuffs.

Sounds like it'd be a shoot to remember though. I don't know how you keep at it and do the quality you do. I couldn't do this without my 'grassroots' folks.

I did tell the Sheriff that the photos were for the site. I'm not ashamed, the Chamber and local small timers are the one's with the problem. Word/gossip travels fast up there and I'm certain they had an idea I'd be back. The 'big deals' in the parade made it a point, not, to smile at the camera. One lady even made faces. So here's what I did;

Right now the photo is on the top page of the site under the caption, "I Love a Parade." There's a little note indicating it'll will be a bit before I have the photos online. I'm thinking by 5pm today everyone in town will have had a peek.

It's not really a bad photo, grainy and oversharpened for sure. I'm not sure the skin tone is right either. -I'm not going to submit to critique right now. I'll have to ferret it out myself.

I think I got a few good ones though, and I had fun with my 14yr old grandson (who I took along to assist).

 

[newrmdmike]

it would be a shoot to remember for sure . . . what really gets me beat down is when you try to play by the rules and they still want to hastle you.

 

[abraxas]

it would be a shoot to remember for sure . . . what really gets me beat down is when you try to play by the rules and they still want to hastle you.

I think that's why I prefer landscapes, being off and out in the middle of nowhere.

...

Yikes,.. dinner time. Need food.

 

[newrmdmike]

oh, and that pogo shot is awesome.

 

[abraxas]

oh, and that pogo shot is awesome.

cool. thanks.