Okay, so I'm still trying to get the Dia de Muertos shots done. Finished this one and my brain just amazes me. Why is it that I can't remember to get onions and green chilis for my salsa for dinner, but I can remember performers from this event from 4 months ago? This lady is Natalia Toledo. She's a Zapotecan poet from Oaxaca, Mexico. Was really interesting. Powerful imagery in her words. She spoke in Spanish and a translator would then repeat the poem in English when she was done. -=>Donald

This is splendid Donald....and such a striking Lady.....as to the amazement of Your Brain....well, You are not listening to She that must be Obeyed .....are You? Now, untie that Brick.....and put the String on Your Finger....it will will remind You, what Your amazing Brain does not. hugz

Donald... Your photography is out of this world. You are a professional arn't you? I know you are! you can hide it from me! I can smell it on you! Wonderful job! I hope you post more. What kind of camera do you use? Jinx

Got on a bit of a roll today, although I kept stopping to blow people up in Unreal 2: XMP ... sigh, just a touch of the ultra-violence. Anyway, already gone a couple performers past Natalia Toledo. Thought I'd post a couple shots of them.

This woman was just painfully beautiful and the way she could move. Wow. Oh, and Fear .. the only professional thing I am is a professional pain the butt. Just ask Misha, he'll tell you. :) -=>Donald

I agree with everything Donald tells me, Fear. Amazing babes, Donald. Thanx.

these are sensational shots donald!... hmmm... i smell something too

Donald...what kind of camera do you use? And I believe it about being a pain in the butt! LOL! Awesome images! I think her hand looks a little weird...maybe a faster shutter speed? I donno. Just my opinion. Jinx

Oppps ... forgot that question. Canon EOS 10D is what I shoot with. Standard lens I use is a 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens ... and I also often use a 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens. Yea ... faster shutter speed would have been nice. It's what happens sometimes though when you're shooting an event. You have little control over the surroundings, so you make do. I could have increased the shutter speed to catch her hand, but then the left side of her face (photo right) would probably have been almost completely black). It's one of the things that frustrates you when you shoot events. It's also one of the things that makes it such a challenge and so much fun. -=>Donald

Fear - this is another one right after the last one. Shifted a few feet to my left as they walked through a brighter spotlight. Still needed to keep my speed down a little so I could catch some detail in the shadows. Speed is right around what it was for the last one. Difference is I "almost" caught the hand movement at a "change point". Just missed that moment and the hand is a bit blurred. Oh well...win some, lose some (more lose than win). -=>Donald

Dancers MOVE, statues are frozen. Beautiful!

Well put Misha! I'm still learning about shutter speeds...LOL! I have a lot to learn. LOL! One of these days I'll figure it out and become as good as you Donald! Jinx

That is true, and I love to capture motion, but there are times when freezing that moment in time is desired. I REALLY love the work of Howard Schatz. His dancer photos are unbelievable to me. Ignoring just the technical aspect of it, they look like he suspended gravity and time. Unreal. This is a crappy scan of a magazine shot of one of those. If you can, look through his book "Passion and the Line". Superb stuff. One day I will create something like this. It's a dream I have. :) -=>Donald