Dean Seltzer - Live - FIRE ON STAGE!

[taygull]

Well I've been looking forward to this shoot.

Dean has taken about a year and a half off because of "burn out" (pun intended :lol: ).

I had a Christmas party Saturday night so I dropped my gear off at Hanks and hoped to get back in time to catch the last set. Well I got there and figured I had about 2.5 hours to wait before he "might" attempt the fire breathing. I had not checked my gear or even opened my bag.

They started the song "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" and the manager came up and said he was about to do the "fire thing". I figured he would do it near the end of the song.

I grabbed my bag, and had to assemble the 1D Mark IIn and put on the 24-70mm f/2.8L, put in the memory card.

I have a policy of setting up my camera before I ever leave for a shoot, then I double check it once I get to the venue. Well this time I did not set it up in advance, I had been shooting some outdoor family portraits for a client earlier in the day. So I adjusted all the settings, walked over to the stage, focused and boom got the shot. I was in burst mode so I was able to capture about 5 of the flame shots.

Dean formerly used 151 proof to do this but recently switched to lamp oil. Well it made such a mess they decided not to do it again because people may slip and fall on the dance floor.

Needless to say this shot will go to the front of my portfolio.

The negative thing about the show is a few weeks back Hanks jacked with the lights and they are just terrible now, almost no light. So I pulled out the 50mm 1.4 and shot about 300 images with it. When I got home and looked through the shots 98% of them were out of focus. I'm not sure why, but I'll be checking the lens over the next few days.

So enjoy the shots and the collage.

More shots are on my website.

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m16/taygull/aaaCF1D5457logo.jpg

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m16/taygull/deancollage.jpg

[johnstoy]

The collage is fabulous...a very professional compilation of great shots...I like the curled and curved photo paper prints...

Since I once gave Rene', a ribbing about a fire breathing performer, and he wasn't too thrilled...I'll save it this time...

The 50mm 1.4 lens...wasn't it OK previously? It isn't loose when you shake it lightly, is it? Hopefully it didn't sustain a jolt like mine did...Canon fixed it within a 10 day turn around...did you say you left your stuff, for a while?

RE: Pyromania...Hehehehe:o :D :evil: :D :lol: :lol:
Personally. I'm trying something new at home, with using one of the fireplaces/wood stoves, to help heat the house...I'm doing the fire thing nearly every hour or two around the clock...This actually might help pay a lot, for one of the L lenses, if I continue...later

john

[taygull]

So what do you have agains a fire breathing performer?

[johnstoy]

So what do you have against a fire breathing performer?

Other than a few fire extinguishers around the house...nothing personally...

It's the local news here in NE PA that kills me...we have several Volunteer Fire Fighters, on numerous occasion turning to arson, so they can drive to the scene with sirens on to put out a fire and be a hero...I know it might not make a lot of sence...but locally, we have had a lot of arson cases involving children burning children, single mothers burning children, vandals, burglars, serial arsonists at developments...and this is all just in the last couple of years...

I'd have to consider a fire breathing performer "adult entertainment"...

I guess blowing out booze and lighting it up, is what I used to enjoy myself at the Circus, when I was a kid...But at least for me times have changed...

And, Chris...it's nothing personal...but I've been living in several regions of the country over the course of last 3 1/2 decades, and I've never seen anything like it is, around here...

[taygull]

I think we can agree that a fire breathing performer has nothing to do with a VFF starting a fire.

You did have to be 21 or older to see this show.

I think "bad things" are done by "bad people", I really don't think they are influenced that much by what an entertainer does at a live show. There is more than enough "stimulation" out there that if someone wants to do something bad they are going to do it.

[johnstoy]

I think we can agree that a fire breathing performer has nothing to do with a VFF starting a fire.

You did have to be 21 or older to see this show.

I think "bad things" are done by "bad people", I really don't think they are influenced that much by what an entertainer does at a live show. There is more than enough "stimulation" out there that if someone wants to do something bad they are going to do it.

I agree with you 100%, Taygull... It's all about parental supervision and the age restrictions...All's cool from this end...

However, strange things are going on around here, (and this is just within a 30 mile radius) with the bored, and the less than employed...or ones who haven't gotten their due recognition yet...

Here's the kicker:
I would be willing to bet that it's a pretty good probability... that the parents around here, would fall out of their seats, if someone lit up a flame like that...

I'm not paranoid...and probably would be in the local fire department myself, since I had all that, EMT I and II training...I'm just a lot older now...

Otherwise, I just kick back and watch the daily local news, and local fires continue to be in the news daily...My neighbors and I are tight, and everyone watches everyone else's, around here...Many of us, are here all the time...

No criticism of the photo intended at all...I don't even recall one fire, when I lived, the many years in TX...

John

[BiikeMike]

Great collage, Nice photos! How did you do the curled paper effect?

[taygull]

Great collage, Nice photos! How did you do the curled paper effect?

It is a photoshop action. The one I have is for CS or CS2. Shoot me an email and I will send it to you.

chris at soundholephotography dot com

[DwightMcCann]

Oh, man, I love your collages! Teach me, teach me! :-) Did they supply the logo? Only fire breather I have seen was Gene Simmons of KISS.

Any updated opinion on the 5D?

[taygull]

Oh, man, I love your collages! Teach me, teach me! :-) Did they supply the logo? Only fire breather I have seen was Gene Simmons of KISS.

Any updated opinion on the 5D?

Which Logo? The Hanks one? If so they did supply it. The text on the bottom right is just a font I chose.

You want an honest answer on the 5D? It sucks, at least for the type of shooting we do.

It has one purpose (which is really why I bought it) and that is you can get a better quality with a large print. If I'm going to print anything 16x20 or smaller the 1D Mark IIn kills the 5D. I would even go as far as saying my 20D shoots better. I do not like the way the 5D focuses, it is very slow.

Here are a couple examples from this weekend. I used the 5D only because this client may want larger prints. The bad part of the shoot was they could only do it at 1:30pm. I used an 8 stop ND filter and my AB800 with a softbox on the first image so as to not blow out the sky.

The second image was blown out on purpose, as I was going for a high contrast look.

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m16/taygull/aIMG_3363.jpg

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m16/taygull/bwIMG_3411.jpg

[livewire-photography.com]

Hey Teygull, That Gollage as has been said is awsome, wish i could do them.
Great shots, was it warm sandin there when the fire happned?
James...

[taygull]

Hey Teygull, That Gollage as has been said is awsome, wish i could do them.
Great shots, was it warm sandin there when the fire happned?
James...

LOL, yeah I could feel the heat.

I'm suprised so many of you like the collage. I felt this was the simpleist one I've put together. Thanks for the kind words.

[René Damkot]

Nice images, nice collage, allthough the top two images are a bit too 'curly' for me.

I don't think fire breathing indoors would be allowed over here. Seems quite a fire hazard... It does give nice images though ;)

and he wasn't too thrilled...

I didn't mind... (had to look it up, BC I forgot about it actually)

[johnstoy]

Nice images, nice collage, allthough the top two images are a bit too 'curly' for me.

I don't think fire breathing indoors would be allowed over here. Seems quite a fire hazard... It does give nice images though ;)

I didn't mind... (had to look it up, BC I forgot about it actually)

I think getting older makes a person either calloused or more sensitive, I'm not certain yet...

See Taygull, and I get all worked up about it and Rene' wasn't even bothered by the critique enough to remember it...

On the other hand...do you think he'd make a reasonable friend if he doesn't care enough to remember?

Than again, if he didn't bother to remember such trivial things than that's a good sign...

Later,

John

[JCR]

I likes both those family portraits, the top one especially.

[taygull]

I likes both those family portraits, the top one especially.

Sorry to hijack my own thread...can one do that?:rolleyes:

There are a couple things I don't like on the first one. The second one is the family favorite. The really like the "message" of them each being individuals but are still one family. They attended a family party the same night and it was the 2nd hands down the favorite.

[johnstoy]

it took three reviews to get up enough nerve to tell you that both portraits are great...

The smiles in both are real special... the subject composition is excellent in both too...

I would consider taking the paint brush out to touch up the white trim on the corner in one...

Other than that, they look good to go...

[taygull]

Thanks JCR,

It looks like we will be printing the 2nd one somewhat large.