Sometimes you just have to try something different.

These Mexican dancers were performing on an outdoor stage in bright sunshine.  I could have used a fast shutter speed.  Instead, I opted for the opposite.  My intention was to show the feeling of the dance, to use my camera not as a recording device but as an artistic tool.

I knew that I would have to have my shutter speed slow enough to create just the right amount of movement.  I knew the dancers would have to come into a tight pattern in my frame, so I was watching for that.  And I knew that the photograph would be stronger if one element, in this case the shoe, came sharp.

This image was done at 1/8 second hand-held.  I was jammed in with other spectators and only took four shots.

Sometimes things come together.

posted by Ted Nodwell