THEY FLOAT THROUGH THE AIR WITH THE GREATEST OF EASE

Our scaled down circus performance  this weekend had all local performers. Shooting this was quite a photographic challenge, with movement and extreme dynamic range. For the techies out there, this was shot at ISO 6400, 1/240, f 2.0, on a Fujifilm XS-10 with in-body image stabilization and a 35 mm prime lens with a 1.5 crop factor. Go ahead and use that for an icebreaker at a cocktail party. Fine with me.     

Note that the man is supporting the woman with one bare foot under her neck and another under her thigh. I can't imagine rehearsing this. 

UNDER THE BIG TOP

One of the nice things about this town is that we have a permanent circus company, Circus Flora, https://circusflora.org/, with a permanent big top tent for a home. It has been dark for a long time but it returned this weekend with a limited production. There was a reduced, well spaced audience and the sides of the tent were open for ventilation. The traditional ring was replaced by two smaller stages.

If you look carefully, you can see that this performer is hanging by her hair, or seems to be. Ellie couldn't believe it and I, too, find it hard to understand.             

SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TO CALL AN AMBULANCE

The U.S. Navy's engineering unit known as the Seabees has a slogan: The difficult we do immediately. The impossible takes a little longer.  There are some things. however, that are beyond the realm of the wildest imagination. If I seriously tried to do this emergency medical intervention would be required.

 So, another entertainer at members night at the botanical garden. We are taking Ellie to the circus tonight and I'll be looking for new images.      

EITHER A UNICORN OR A NARWHAL

 

 

More of the entertainment from members night at the Botanical Garden. Ellie, of course, was fascinated by this. She was wearing a unicorn shirt (fascinated by that, too) and made the comparison to the performer. He told her it was a narwhal but I think it was just to tweak her a little.                

MEMBERS NIGHT AT THE GARDEN

One of the jewels of our town is the Missouri Botanical Garden, often seen in these pages. Yesterday they had a members night with food, entertainment and lots of children's activities. Ellie had a great time, which I hope we'll get to.

I regret that I didn't make a note of the names of these musicians but they may email me, in which case I will update this. As you rounded a turn in the path entering the Japanese garden they were concealed behind a small grove, with only their sound to draw you in. It was like perfume in the air, pulling the visitor around to their music. They were playing a piece by Carl Stamitz, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Stamitz, a rough contemporary of Mozart and Haydn. To me, it was the highlight of a beautiful evening.