FIRE TWIRLERS

A group called Foxfire Hypnotica gave an impromptu performance at Triangle Park at 10pm Saturday. The group twirls various configurations of fire “wicks” and put on quite a show for lucky late night park goers. Foxfire had finished their performance indoors at Victoria Square (using harmless fuzz balls on strings) as part of the Kentucky Women Writers Conference. They walk while twirling hands and arms, thus making slow shutter speeds sometimes inadequate, blurring their features, BUT making the fire streak appropriately. Sometimes, they stop walking and slow down their twirl, and thus their faces and bodies are sharp, but the flames are less dramatic. Here’s two approaches, one with a slower moving performer (top), and another with faster movement using fill flash (bottom).

Tech info: (top): Catherine Simmons; 1/30 sec., f.2.8, 145mm (zoom), 800 ISO, auto white balance.
(bottom): Jamie Burks; camera set as above, but with a -2 compensated TTL fill flash.

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