Last weekend, I attended the Pacific Northwest Highland Games in the Cascade foothill town of Enumclaw. Its was a cool day (until 3, when the sun finally broke through and then temperature sky-rocketed in a matter of minutes), but the crowds were out in force, as were the games participants, the pipe and drum bands, the dancers, the musicians and the vendors of all things Scottish (and Celtic). Photography at events is one of the more challenging endeavors, with crowds and sky and a multitude of things happening all to contend with. Having been to the event several times over the years, I had some idea of what to expect and a few "shots" that I wanted to get for sure. But a lot was being at the right (or wrong) place at the right (or wrong) time and getting THE shot (or not).
In editing the 338 photos taken that day, I quickly got down to 79, then 28 and then 11. I was hoping to identify 2 or 3 really good photos, but then realized that the eleven I had whittled it down to represented a good cross section of day's various events.
For photos of musicians, I looked for unusual positions, such as this shot taken from behind the stage, or for great facial expressions, such as the photo of the three musicians (members of Golden Bough).
The sporting events were the real challenge, given overcast skies and midday light - bad combo. And then factor in fences, multiple events occurring simultaneously and crowds. But with a zoom lens and some close cropping, it proved doable.
These two shots of Elite class participants throwing the Braemar Stone (never heard of it, either) show strength and determination and that sports and kilts are not mutually exclusive.
And now we're down to the pipe bands - my real reason for going to the games. There were at least 14 pipe bands from as nearby as Tacoma and as far away as Denver. And with all of them participating in the Massing of the Pipes, it was a sight and aural treat to behold (or run and hide from depending on one's preferences).
Military precision, all playing the same march (as far as I could tell) and the seriousness of the drum major were all components of this photo. And I couldn't resist the "Hall of the Vendors" sign in the background!
And, thankfully, you just luck out - whether its the side glance of the piper, or the florescent lime sunglasses on a kilted lad. Or looking at things from a different angle, such as the following shot of drummers drumming.
But after a day of walking and snacking (great corn dogs and Fisher scones!) and taking way too many photos, you come to appreciate the dedication of the athletes and musicians and dancers and pipers. And are thankful that all you have to carry around is a camera - rather than walking and playing and blowing into the chanter all with all your breathe and all at the same time.
And, yes, I ended up with 9 (not 11) photos for this blogpost - editing continued while I wrote. It's never ending.
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