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Hula Hoops

© John P. Sandstedt

Hula Hoops

Uploaded: July 19, 2004

Description

Taken with Olympus Stylus 115, POINT and SHOOT zoom at 115 mm. Shows that the type of camera isn't necessarily the key thing.

Comments

Tina R. Hill July 19, 2004

This is just cool!!! #149429

John P. Sandstedt July 19, 2004

Thanks. This one proved to me that one can take good pictures with a point and shoot just as well as with a sophisticated SLR. In fact, had I used my EOS 3, I probably wouldn't have "stopped the action" of the hoops. #658609

Ronald Balthazor July 19, 2004

Nicely captured, John. #659497

Ray Charles July 20, 2004

Very cool capture. #661573

Isabel L August 15, 2004

Wow Nice shot John! Congrats on your win with this image!! #711268

Dan Holm August 15, 2004

Fantastic shot!! CONGRATULATIONS, John!! #711352

Kristen McKain August 15, 2004

Congrats! #711630

Nicole Boenig-McGrade August 15, 2004

CONGRATULATIONS John, what a great shot!!!!!

Would you mind sharing how you shot this? I am about to take some shots at a ballet studio and then at a ballet concert and could really use some 'settings' tips. I have a Nikon D70. Any suggestions would be most welcome.

Kind regards from West Australia
Nicole #712095

Nancy Grace Chen August 15, 2004

Wow! Very cool! Great idea to use a slow shutter speed on this. Congratulations on your First Place winner!!

Nancy #712515

Janet Detota August 15, 2004

Fantastic results! Congratulations! #712688

William C. Raco level-classic August 15, 2004

Excellent photo, John.
The movement is beautiful.
Congratulations,

bill #712976

Evy Johansen level-classic August 15, 2004

Charming image, John! Many congratulations! #713399

Kelly Abernathy level-classic August 16, 2004

Congratulations on your first place win! Very cool shot! -K #714099

Robin L. Wehrman August 16, 2004

Congratulations on this magnificent image John and your first place win well deserved! #714103

Pu Chen August 16, 2004

Beautiful motion you captured here, John! Congratulation! #715642

Diane Dupuis August 19, 2004

Congrats! Great shot! #721961

Su Taylor November 30, 2004

John! What a great shot. Lovely light and motion capture. And a point and shot???
Could you tell me how you did this? I have a fancy dancy camera, but a frind of mine has a Nikon 5700 and his son is in school playing sports. I would love to show him, and of course me how to do something so spatactular! Great job.
Su #945758

John P. Sandstedt November 30, 2004

Thanks to all of you for your kind comments on "Hula Hoops."

For those of you who asked how it was taken - I used my wife's Olympus Stylus 115 Point and Shoot, at full zoom [115 mm.] This camera probably has a fixed shutter speed of 1/40th sec. and a fixed aperture of ~f/8.

The picture was taken at the Big Apple Circus in New York City. There was a continuing warning, "No flash allowed." But, there was lots of light from the various spotlights around the single ring. The performer started with one hula hoop and gradually increased the number she "twirled" to 50.

I took two shots during her act. I scanned the better of the two into Photoshop Elements [Ver 1.0] and enlarged it to 8X10 so it could be critiqued by members of my Camera Club. Most hated the fact that I'd captured three flood lights and rigging [two strands of colored ropes] in the upper right hand corner of the picture. That image just missed Honorable Mention in the Spring 2004 Print Competition of the New Jersey Federation of Camera Clubs.

Going back to Photoshop Elements, I cloned out the rigging and one of the lights. Then I copied the set of two lights across the top of the picture four times.

I had to repeat this several times to get the correct placement that allowed resizing of the print to exactly 8X10. I resized the image to that appropriate for entry in the BetterPhoto.com contest.

As I indicated earlier, what made this image work was the fact that the camera had a slow shutter speed. That is, I had no control. If I'd used my Canon EOS 3, I probably would never have thought about using a slow shutter speed and, thus, would have frozen all action. That picture would not have shown the movement of the artist's body as she made the hula hoops fly. And, the hoops???

My wife loves this picture because I took it with her "little" camera. It shows that it's not the sophistication level of the camera that makes the picture; rather it's what the camera sees [or what the photographer sees.] #947078

Susan L. Vasquez June 17, 2005

This is a lovely image John! It takes more than a camera to make an image. One has to be able to "see" to be a great photographer. I really like the color and all the movement (especially her hands). #1484041

Lorri Shane October 27, 2005

Wow, John. It's very different and I like it alot! Thanks for sharing!
Lorri #2006018

Barbara Helgason December 28, 2005

This IS a very unique and interesting photo. Congratulations, I am glad I stopped by to see it. And thanks for your help with my question on the forum. #2230746

Mary Anne Frey August 31, 2006

Hey John! I love this one, I have never seen anything like it, very original!
Mary Anne #3251319

Donna La Mattino Pagakis January 27, 2008

I just came across this image today, John, and it is very cool!!! A huge congratulations on your win!!!!

I have a point and shoot Olympus Camedia and LOVE it. When I set the dial on my own settings, I can get very creative.

Excellent work!!

Donna #5404581

Ronald F. Fischer January 29, 2008

What a stunningly beautiful capture! #5413742

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