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Some would think that nothing but hawks, buzzards and owls would not make for a very good show, but this is the Renaissance Festival.
For amateur photographers such as myself it's all about volume, luck, and post-capture cropping and tweaking. In fact - just as in most area of life - the ones who appear to be winners are not the ones with the most talent, but those that work the hardest. I find great joy in sitting down to manipulate these pics to my own satisfaction, and if a few good ones have resulted then that's just gravy.
He probably didn't know it at the time, but it was my traveling companion to Enchanted Rock that brought me back down to earth about all this. We were talking about the results of our work when he mentioned that the only customer he cares about is himself...he takes the pictures and edits them in post-capture to satisfy his vision and no one else's. Thus, there is a greater blessing in a work that is uniquely one's own, and no one else's, because no one else can fill the niche specifically created by those talents...
Candids are a breeze at the Renaissance Festival...everywhere you look there is something like this poking up or someone in an outrageous costume willing to ham it up for anyone's camera.
A while after the Fire Whip spectacle they had a bird show on the same stage. In fact, the owner of this staff was told to put it down lest one of the stars decide to roost in mid-performance...
The guy you see standing on the stage is the national whipping champion. Who knew there was such a thing? His show is called "Fire Whip" because at one point he performs with a whip that is on fire.
These shots were posted to show the throngs that gather at the venues. Lots of other pictures were taken, but the seats we got weren't that great, and besides the lens is too slow to capture the fast action of what he was doing with the whip.
These vendors are an interesting lot, carrying their wares high above their heads with either pretzels or popcorn...
Even though we were in the fourth row it was not difficult to get past the people sitting in front of us, thanks to the pinpoint accuracy and speed of the focusing system of the Big Cahoona, which is always kept on the one point (not center-weighted or entire frame, which chooses an array from all 51 points). Having it adjusted thus affords complete control...
Many postings have already been done on this blog of the Renaissance Festival, just south of Plantersville here in Texas. The incredible colors and unusual culture that can be seen everywhere make for perfect photo opportunities.
This time I went with my little brother and a nephew fresh from Taiwan. It is always entertaining to see the reaction from someone unfamiliar with the U.S. as they enter the gates and encounter the sights and sounds of what goes on here.
This photo is unusual in that it was caught in a rare moment when there are virtually no people in the frame, though it was already crowded at 10:15a. There was no color adjustment necessary, but just a bit of cropping and brightening of shadows was done to make the composition more even. Oh, and a light fixture was removed from the top of the structure...
This is not the best photo of the trip, but these critters'll get you every time. We were on our way back to the car for the drive home and saw three or four of these guys hanging around a picnic area. Though a group of Boy Scouts was there also, the deer were just fine until a big dog stepped out from behind a car...
Some would think that nothing but hawks, buzzards and owls would not make for a very good show, but this is the Renaissance Festival.
