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Category: Friendly Praise Archive

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Hula Hoops


 

BetterPhoto.com All Time Best Photo Contest Winner BetterPhoto.com Photo Contest FIRST PLACE Winner  
Hula Hoops
Hula Hoops
Taken with Olympus Stylus 115, POINT and SHOOT zoom at 115 mm. Shows that the type of camera isn't necessarily the key thing.

John P. Sandstedt

 
 
 

Tina R. Hill
 

This is just cool!!!


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July 19, 2004

 

John P. Sandstedt
  Thanks. This one proved to me that one can take good pictures with a point and shoot just as well as with a sophisticated SLR. In fact, had I used my EOS 3, I probably wouldn't have "stopped the action" of the hoops.


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July 19, 2004

 

Ronald Balthazor
  Nicely captured, John.


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July 19, 2004

 

Ray Charles
  Very cool capture.


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July 20, 2004

 

Isabel L
  Wow Nice shot John! Congrats on your win with this image!!


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August 15, 2004

 

Dan Holm
  Fantastic shot!! CONGRATULATIONS, John!!


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August 15, 2004

 

Kristen McKain
  Congrats!


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August 15, 2004

 

Nicole Boenig-McGrade
  CONGRATULATIONS John, what a great shot!!!!!

Would you mind sharing how you shot this? I am about to take some shots at a ballet studio and then at a ballet concert and could really use some 'settings' tips. I have a Nikon D70. Any suggestions would be most welcome.

Kind regards from West Australia
Nicole


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August 15, 2004

 

Nancy Grace Chen
  Wow! Very cool! Great idea to use a slow shutter speed on this. Congratulations on your First Place winner!!

Nancy


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August 15, 2004

 

Janet Detota
  Fantastic results! Congratulations!


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August 15, 2004

 
- William C. Raco

BetterPhoto Member
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William C. Raco's Gallery
  Excellent photo, John.
The movement is beautiful.
Congratulations,

bill


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August 15, 2004

 
- Evy Johansen

BetterPhoto Member
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Evy Johansen's Gallery
  Charming image, John! Many congratulations!


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August 15, 2004

 
- Kelly Abernathy

BetterPhoto Member
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  Congratulations on your first place win! Very cool shot! -K


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August 16, 2004

 

Robin L. Wehrman
  Congratulations on this magnificent image John and your first place win well deserved!


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August 16, 2004

 

Pu Chen
  Beautiful motion you captured here, John! Congratulation!


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August 16, 2004

 

Diane Dupuis
  Congrats! Great shot!


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August 19, 2004

 

Su Taylor
  John! What a great shot. Lovely light and motion capture. And a point and shot???
Could you tell me how you did this? I have a fancy dancy camera, but a frind of mine has a Nikon 5700 and his son is in school playing sports. I would love to show him, and of course me how to do something so spatactular! Great job.
Su


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November 30, 2004

 

John P. Sandstedt
  Thanks to all of you for your kind comments on "Hula Hoops."

For those of you who asked how it was taken - I used my wife's Olympus Stylus 115 Point and Shoot, at full zoom [115 mm.] This camera probably has a fixed shutter speed of 1/40th sec. and a fixed aperture of ~f/8.

The picture was taken at the Big Apple Circus in New York City. There was a continuing warning, "No flash allowed." But, there was lots of light from the various spotlights around the single ring. The performer started with one hula hoop and gradually increased the number she "twirled" to 50.

I took two shots during her act. I scanned the better of the two into Photoshop Elements [Ver 1.0] and enlarged it to 8X10 so it could be critiqued by members of my Camera Club. Most hated the fact that I'd captured three flood lights and rigging [two strands of colored ropes] in the upper right hand corner of the picture. That image just missed Honorable Mention in the Spring 2004 Print Competition of the New Jersey Federation of Camera Clubs.

Going back to Photoshop Elements, I cloned out the rigging and one of the lights. Then I copied the set of two lights across the top of the picture four times.

I had to repeat this several times to get the correct placement that allowed resizing of the print to exactly 8X10. I resized the image to that appropriate for entry in the BetterPhoto.com contest.

As I indicated earlier, what made this image work was the fact that the camera had a slow shutter speed. That is, I had no control. If I'd used my Canon EOS 3, I probably would never have thought about using a slow shutter speed and, thus, would have frozen all action. That picture would not have shown the movement of the artist's body as she made the hula hoops fly. And, the hoops???

My wife loves this picture because I took it with her "little" camera. It shows that it's not the sophistication level of the camera that makes the picture; rather it's what the camera sees [or what the photographer sees.]


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November 30, 2004

 

Susan L. Vasquez
  This is a lovely image John! It takes more than a camera to make an image. One has to be able to "see" to be a great photographer. I really like the color and all the movement (especially her hands).


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June 17, 2005

 

Lorri Shane
  Wow, John. It's very different and I like it alot! Thanks for sharing!
Lorri


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October 27, 2005

 

Barbara Helgason
  This IS a very unique and interesting photo. Congratulations, I am glad I stopped by to see it. And thanks for your help with my question on the forum.


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December 28, 2005

 

Mary Anne Frey
  Hey John! I love this one, I have never seen anything like it, very original!
Mary Anne


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August 31, 2006

 

Donna La Mattino Pagakis
  I just came across this image today, John, and it is very cool!!! A huge congratulations on your win!!!!

I have a point and shoot Olympus Camedia and LOVE it. When I set the dial on my own settings, I can get very creative.

Excellent work!!

Donna


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January 27, 2008

 

Ronald F. Fischer
  What a stunningly beautiful capture!


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January 29, 2008

 
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