Shots from the 2014 Daytona Classic are up on the site.
Well, almost up.* Probably under a hundred shots to go at this point. I thought I’d better at least get what is up announced before the 2015 season arrives.
It was an unexpectedly BIG show, over 160 competitors if I recall, so there was a LOT of raw material to sort through. I was expecting about half that number.
I also shot this show from further back, full manual, and that’s really helping to solve some of the consistency issues I’ve had from shooting closer to the stage. However the lighting in this venue was extremely dim around the edges, and some of the larger classes flowed past the center-stage area, so a considerable number of photos were not salavageable as color, and another smaller batch just couldn’t be saved.
Consider: If the subject is a dark-tanned physique guy wearing fluorescent jams and tucked away in the armpit section of the stage, that shot is next to impossible to pull off. I’m already walking a tightrope on the exposure levels, and the fluorescent colors make the light meter think there’s WAY more visible light coming in than there really is, so setting the levels is basically just a SWAG at that point.
We are going to have to have a conversation about competitor attire in the near term, though, especially in the bikini and men’s physique classes.
(Generally when a large group is on stage and the edge lighting is less than perfect, the head judge will rotate the competitors like an airplane propellor and they are judged a second time. Of course if the stage is dark on both sides, then the competitors on the ends are just moving from one dark spot to another. A better solution for extreme lighting discrepancies might be to do the rotation similar to the propellors on a twin-engine plane, which would give everyone at least one viewing in the best light. )
We are going to have to have a conversation about competitor attire in the near term, though, especially in the bikini and men’s physique classes. I’m not keen on having to vet every photo for “wardrobe malfunctions” and in way too many cases that situation seems about one hiccup away. So far I have tried very hard to simply cover the shows, not editorialize by omitting certain classes, but it seems things are heading in the wrong direction and there’s a limit to what I’m willing to put on a site with my name at the top.
Even with the large number of competitors it was another great show by Mike and Tony. The competition was first-rate and the show ran smoothly. Enjoy the shots.
*They are all up now.