Saturday, August 11, 2007

Slow Sync Dance

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I took this shot at the Mediterranean Hookah Lounge in Madison, WI. The band my sweetie is in - Pagee GoGo - was playing and the joint was jumping. I had just purchased a new Nikon D40 and was hot to experiment with it. This one was shot using a slow sync flash and had results I really liked. I captured a few others that were OK, but this one really jumps out at me. The woman is in such sharp focus while her dance partner becomes transparent. She was static while he was in motion. I can see where a whole series of these style photos would be difficult to look at (my sister says they make her ill) and I'll likely use it sparingly.

The feeling I got when I looked at it was a bit of a summation of the entire bar scene: To her, he is a ghost, an ephemeral presence, quickly forgotten. It's a fun-in-the-moment sort of capture.

If you are a photographer or other visual artist, please feel free to comment, especially on composition. I'm color blind, so I may have color issues I am unaware of too. Constructive criticism is appreciated, but mean criticism will be read as well.

There's another Pagee GoGo gig tonight at the King Club, so I'll be experimenting with a bounce flash.

2 comments:

  1. I love the transparency of the male dancer... it gives a spirit feel, as if he's traveling between worlds.

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  2. I had some interesting successes that night using that flash technique. There's another shot in that same set that has a dancer in front of the guitarist, and you can see the guitar right through her torso. If the angle had been a hair different it would have been a great photo. As it is, it's merely interesting. This one turned out better.

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