Learning from Lanterns

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Learning from Lanterns

by SeasideMan ^Pro @ 01/11/09 – 10:41:26

Last night was the Machynlleth lantern parade for Halloween, so Helen and I toddled over there to photograph it. It was quite a difficult shoot. There were people milling around all over the place, light things, dark things and a great deal of movement. In short, everything that conspires to make taking photographs difficult.

I got some OK shots, so did Helen, and we learned from it. Next time we'll do better. I need to get bolder and I should have done some research before the event: how many lanterns, how long does it last, etc.

Life presents us lots of learning opportunities if we can only recognise them.

Cheers, Tom.
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- photography
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- man
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- seaside
- parade
- halloween
- lantern
- photographer
- machynlleth

59 Comments to Learning from Lanterns

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- la_spice
- 01/11/09 @ 10:48:32
Looks and sounds like a great event to attend
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 01/11/09 @ 10:57:26
  It had a very jolly atmosphere.
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- isadora101
- 01/11/09 @ 10:49:21
Despite the difficulties, still great shots
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 01/11/09 @ 10:58:08
  Thanks Issy, but I am rather a perfectionist these days and keep seeing my mistakes...
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- ABE-unlimited
- 01/11/09 @ 11:01:29
Wow!
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 01/11/09 @ 12:52:23
  My next challenge is fireworks...
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- WyrdSeeker ^Pro
- 01/11/09 @ 11:05:58
Looks like you did OK! Like the top one.

Wish the town I lived in had a bit more of a community feel to it
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 01/11/09 @ 12:52:58
  People round here do seem to have a very strong sense of community.
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- lilian1
- 01/11/09 @ 12:08:32
How nice they put on a festival in your town Tom you have captured it well no easy task with lots of folk ..
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 01/11/09 @ 12:56:56
  Unfortunately, we had to miss the firework display afterwards.
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- malakeas ^Pro
- http://www.blog.co.uk/user/malakeas
- 01/11/09 @ 12:12:33
Morning!

None the less, those photos are great. I can imagine how fantastic the lights were. And as for learning from lessons laid before us, I do try after a couple of times to learn what I need to know. Have a great Sunday! x
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 01/11/09 @ 12:58:05
  It did look really good, and all the kids had such big smiles :-)
  
  I hope your day goes well.
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- jenray ^Pro
- http://www.jenniferhunter.co.uk
- 01/11/09 @ 12:44:28
Looks like a really fun evening and looks dry too! The pics look good to me... GBHs...XXX
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 01/11/09 @ 12:58:54
  Thankfully, it did remain dry. It would have ruined some of the lanterns if it rained!
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- jenray ^Pro
- http://www.jenniferhunter.co.uk
- 01/11/09 @ 12:47:04
that was a load of looks I've just realized...LOL...GBHs....XXX
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- moonwoman
- http://www.moonwomenspirituality.com
- 01/11/09 @ 13:21:19
You did a great job with a difficult night subject.
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 01/11/09 @ 13:44:04
  Thanks, I'll do better next time.
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- rubychoo
- 01/11/09 @ 14:20:37
Ace. What are they made from ? I'd guess canvas or paper lit by spots ?
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 01/11/09 @ 14:36:10
  I think they are paper over a stick framework, and most of the lights are battery-run LEDs.
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- AmethystLady ^Pro
- 01/11/09 @ 14:24:59
Great pictures Tom. I envy you for where you live.....always seems to be interesting things going on! lol xxx
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 01/11/09 @ 14:36:45
  Thanks Kelly. This was about 15 miles from home.
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- banana ^Pro
- http://poetry4fun.blog.co.uk
- 01/11/09 @ 15:00:22
Lovely atmosphere in those pictures Tom!

Reminds me of the Parade Electrique that I once watched in Disneyland Paris when my son was really tiny and still in a pushchair.

We got some video footage but it is very hard to capture light and dark, your pictures came out much better than ours did.
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 01/11/09 @ 15:25:35
  Thanks, I was unsure if the atmosphere came across properly: I'm relieved that it does!
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- WildWitch
- 01/11/09 @ 15:17:40
Looks like a great way to mark the festival. I wish i lived in a place that did such interesting things.

Was Mr Monbiot there by any chance? Did you spot him?
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 01/11/09 @ 15:26:32
  I didn't here his name mentioned at all and certainly didn't see him. Was he supposed to be there then?
  - - WildWitch
    - 01/11/09 @ 16:49:39
    He lives there, just wondered if he was about.
    - - SeasideMan ^Pro
      - 01/11/09 @ 16:58:37
      Gosh, I didn't know that. I expect he probably was there then.
      - WildWitch
        
        01/11/09 @ 17:23:32
        
        I met him on a protest against open cast in Merthyr once, lovely guy.
        
        I always expected him to be a little intimidating from what id seen of his interview style on tv (particularly that one with David Belamy) and his sometimes agressive writting maner, but he was totaly charming with a great sense of humour.
        
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        SeasideMan ^Pro
        
        01/11/09 @ 17:28:22
        
        It's quite comforting to hear that he's a nice chap. No surprise that he lives near CAT (Centre for Alternative Technology) either!
        
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        WildWitch
        
        01/11/09 @ 17:29:04
        
        its great there, have you been?
        
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        SeasideMan ^Pro
        
        01/11/09 @ 17:35:48
        
        Yes, it's a fascinating place. I've only been once which is a bit weird - I must go again since it's so close!
        
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        WildWitch
        
        01/11/09 @ 20:17:24
        
        I think i actualy saw Colin Greenwood in the cafe last time i was there, i was too scared to look too close.
        
        Later in the day my kids were in the play area, that double decker bus when this child joined in with them, he was about my sons age. I told him we had to go now and would he be ok on his own, he told me he lost his parents. I asked him if he wanted to walk with us to the main enterence so the staff could put a call out for him to be reunited with them.
        
        He was telling me he was there for the day from Oxford, he had long dark hair, very polite little boy. We ensured he was left with staff at the main enterence who set to finding his parents and thats the last we saw of him.
        
        I wonder, was it Colin Greenwood we saw in the cafe that day, was that his son we had hanging around with us that day? Why didnt i insist on waiting for the kids dad to turn up aaaaggghhhhhh!!!!!
        
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        SeasideMan ^Pro
        
        01/11/09 @ 21:01:24
        
        I'm afraid I have no idea who Colin Greenwood is!
        
        I'm not surprised the staff there are good workers though. I know a couple of people who work there and they are keen and committed.
        
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        WildWitch
        
        01/11/09 @ 21:02:36
        
        Radioheads bass player.
        
        Im sure it was him in the cafe with his wife and kids.
        
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        SeasideMan ^Pro
        
        01/11/09 @ 21:06:15
        
        Aaarrrggghhh! I should have known that :-(
        
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        WildWitch
        
        02/11/09 @ 14:36:22
        
        Go to the back of the class and repeat this baseline 100 times
        
        http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7403z_radiohead-the-gloaming_music
        
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        SeasideMan ^Pro
        
        02/11/09 @ 15:57:59
        
        That's a good one :-)
        
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        WildWitch
        
        02/11/09 @ 16:04:20
        
        oh yes
        
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- safriz
- http://www.conspiror.blog.co.uk
- 01/11/09 @ 16:24:14
Very good shots for low light conditions.
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 01/11/09 @ 16:57:46
  Cheers, it was a real struggle!
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- catsInVienna
- 01/11/09 @ 16:35:21
Looks lovely, Laterns are beautiful! We have also this event, but I do not know when it happens.
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 01/11/09 @ 16:59:17
  Quite soon I'd think - make sure you don't miss it!
  - - catsInVienna
    - 01/11/09 @ 17:08:56
    This event are in villages, never see laterns in Vienna.
    - - SeasideMan ^Pro
      - 01/11/09 @ 17:25:39
      Oh, that's a shame.
      - catsInVienna
        
        01/11/09 @ 17:37:58
        
        Yes, it is!
        
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- justal
- http://www.alananna.co.uk
- 01/11/09 @ 16:41:46
I was there too... Mainly looking after toddlers but I got a few shots of the fireworks as well:

http://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2009/machynlleth-festival-of-light/

Al.
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 01/11/09 @ 17:04:09
  I left a comment on your blog. I liked the firework shots - you did particularly well since they were all hand-held.
  - - justal
    - http://www.alananna.co.uk
    - 01/11/09 @ 17:11:24
    Thanks Tom... I actually found it really easy. All done on Manual setting and I just picked a suitable shutter speed depending on whether I wanted to blur the photo or not, I didn't mess round with aperture too much as depth of field wasn't really an issue and whatever I set it at, from 1/4 sec right up to 1/125 second the photos came out fine... The camera of course thought that everything wold be under-exposed but it never was.
    
    Probably the easiest things I've ever photographed!
    
    Did you see me out windsurfing today? Perfect weather for it.
    
    Al.
    - - SeasideMan ^Pro
      - 01/11/09 @ 17:27:04
      I saw someone windsurfing, at a distance, and it was probably you!
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- mojacar
- 01/11/09 @ 16:56:24
That looks like a lot of fun.

We spent our evening handing out chocolate to mums and kids who knocked on our door. Thankfully the second wave of teenaers didn't materialise - did they all go home to see X factor or Strictly?
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 01/11/09 @ 17:04:40
  I wonder how many sweets got eaten last night!
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- miramaze
- 01/11/09 @ 19:34:20
WOW what a fantastic event
thanks for sharing your pics !

XXX
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 01/11/09 @ 19:41:52
  It really was a lovely event, with a real feeling of community about it.
  - - miramaze
    - 01/11/09 @ 19:45:09
    Precious !
    
    There was magic in the air last night
    
    X
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- huncamunca
- 01/11/09 @ 20:46:41
I love them. Great effect of the lights on darkness. Great shot Tom
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 01/11/09 @ 20:59:23
  Thanks, I'm glad you like them - I was tormented by feelings of failure.
  - - huncamunca
    - 05/11/09 @ 00:23:04
    Noooo, wonderful effects! love them... you are a great photographer!!!
    - - SeasideMan ^Pro
      - 05/11/09 @ 10:01:17
      Thanks Sandra :-)
      - huncamunca
        
        05/11/09 @ 13:00:27
        
        have a wonderful day Tom. Yesterday we started walking on the beach. Love the sea the most.
        
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