Slightly OT, but this was brought up in class the other day…

Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse were experimenting with electricity about the same time, and there was quite alot of money to be made in it. Edison was a Direct Current guy, Westinghouse was all about the Alternating Currents. In an attempt to discredit Westinghouse’s methods as unsafe and promote his own, on January 4, 1903, Edison publicly electrocuted Topsy the elephant with alternating currents (no worries though - the elephant had mauled someone, or something). They sold tickets.

Point… Edison filmed Topsy’s demise. I haven’t been able to confirm what equipment he used, but it was 1903…

I find the origins of photography fascinating, and I love watching the Lumiere Bros.’ films. This is the same time period, and uh, interesting as well, in a sick sort of way. Not exactly Lumiere style, but whatever. Quality of the surviving film is low enough that it’s not too graphic. So, I share:

If you’re not into that, I’m really diggin’ me some Eartha Kitt lately…

What’s not to love?

Last night, UGA’s Dance Marathon , which raises money for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, had an event on Herty Field that I’m still not sure exactly what was, and Miss America showed up, since she likes kids too, or something. Everyone socialized, ate pizza, people got up on the platform and talked about stuff, everyone watched a short video and then people in yellow shirts demonstrated a dance they learned last year. It was very exciting.

And today, my first ever grip-and-grin ran in the paper. Honestly, up until now, I can’t remember another. I hang my head in relatively strong embarrassment.

Painful, eh? At least they aren’t holding the usual trophy or certificate or oversized check. And to their credit (and mine?), they did this on their own.

What happened was, before the event, the PR director for Dance Marathon (second from left) asked me if I’d like to get a few shots of Miss America and Seth Adams, the 8-year-old boy who’s a spokesperson of sorts for Dance Marathon (the DM people have helped Adams and his family out for 6 years now). I said sure, figuring I could at least get a some mugs for good measure. I turned around and they were doing this.

Works for me. And this was probably the most usable photo out of everything I shot, for the purposes of the story.

And… there was no lighting. After 8 p.m., people everywhere, and despite the fact that Miss America, crown and all, was there, there was absolutely. no. lighting. Zero lighting, sir.

No. Lighting. The only light came from the street lamps that were on the sidewalks on the very edges of the field.

I’m pretty good working with ambient light, but there wasn’t any. It sucked. It was so dark my camera’s autofocus got pissed and left. And it was very difficult to work around that crowd with the flash, omnibounce or no, off cable cord or not.

And, you know, design wanted a vertical (which turned out to be more of a square). And to my shame and frustration, the grip and grin was what worked the best.

Oh well.

Miss America don’t dance.

For more infos:
R&B: Dance Marathon hosts royal guest