The 4th Annual World wide Photowalk (#WWPW) has come and gone and what an action packed weekend it was!!
Sunrise Shoot
A few of us brave souls got up at 5:00am for a sunrise shoot at Cape Spear. I was expecing an overcast morning, perfect for a spectacular sunrise, but when I left Mount Pearl, the Stars were out and the sky was crystal clear. When I arrived at Cape Spear there were a few clouds in the sky but as soon as the sun started to rise, we were closed in by fog on all sides. So while I didn’t capture any typical sunrise photos, the light was still fantastic and I got some great shots of the old lighthouse.
Official Photowalk
At 2:00pm we met up again for the Official Photowalk. A few more of us came out this time, but a few less than I expected. That’s good news for the photographers who did show up, it increases their odds of at least winning the local prize.
Everybody seem to have their own route to getting to the restaurant and it seems that everybody got some fantastic shots. This year I thought I’d try some candid photography and simple portraits.Yet I still haven’t been able to muster up the courage to either just shoot a stranger without permission, or ask permission and then shoot. And unfortunately, I saw a lot of fantastic characters on the streets. I did shoot a few, but I think I missed more opportunities than I took. I did find this guy shooting me. He was creating a collection of all of the people who photograph his house.
An Evening at Cape Spear
After the sun went down the real fun began. A few of us brave souls, ventured back to Cape Spear for a second time in one day. This time we headed straight for the battery armed with steel wool, kitchen utensils and a ball of string.
The idea is that fine steel wool is flammable enough to burn and create sparks. When you spin it on a string, it can create some amazing light painting opportunities.
For this shot, my camera is on a tripod set with a wireless remote. My camera is set to f8 and 25sec. Once the steel wool is lit and spinning, the shutter is opened. Once the wool burns out, it is pitch black in the tunnel so the exact shutter speed is not critical. Just long enough to grab some spectacular sparks. Protective clothing is a must, especially for your hands, the string really burns when you spin it.
Use a metal coat hanger to make a handle for the steel wool. You won’t burn your hand that way. unbend it so its straight, on one end, bend it back over the steel wool, on the other bend it 90 degrees so you have a handle that you can easily spin. Thats how I do all my fire spinning. Haven’t been burned in the 2 years I’ve been doing it.
Excellent idea, thanks Doug. I’m wondering what a old screwdriver handle would be like on one end of the string with the whisk on the other?