Peixos, Weymouth

[puddleshark]

Jellyfish drift along the promenade at Weymouth after dark.



Yesterday evening I caught the train to Weymouth, to see the parade by Catalan performing arts group Sarruga. First time I've been on a train since the Pandemic started, and I hope I have not been reckless. But one cannot avoid taking a train forever, I suppose.

And Weymouth is so easy to get to by train - the station is a minute's walk from the clock tower and the beach.


Arrived as the light was fading, and took up station along the road, where crowds were starting to gather. Shortly after half past seven, the light was gone, and Weymouth was suddenly invaded by giant luminous sea creatures.










This shark came right at me, snapping its jaws and I ducked, laughing.


These tropical fish were on a circular frame that rotated as it progressed, so that the fish appeared to be swimming in a shoal.







The pictures aren't great. The Canon just isn't a good camera for low light shots, and the pictures came out grainy. But the parade itself was a bit magical. The organisers, Activate Performing Arts, described the event in their leaflet as "a spellbinding parade inside an eerie underwater world featuring luminescent sea creatures and gigantic bicycle-powered wizardry".

And afterwards, a walk along the beach in the dark, eating chips.


The coloured lights of Weymouth Pavilion reflecting in the sea.

Comments

[heleninwales]

How frustrating that the Canon isn't performing well in low light. However, the photos are fine for sharing on the web. They give an impression of what the parade was like anyway.

[puddleshark]

Thanks! The parade was a lot more impressive than my pictures make it look - with noise and dry ice and this huge shark being manoueuvred along some quite narrow streets!

[asakiyume]

I adored these. The fact that they're bicycle powered is just extra goodness. How very magical!

[puddleshark]

Yes, such wonderfully weird and ingenious creations! And so much fun... The guys manoeuvring the shark were having a whale (no pun intended) of a time making all the kids in the audience shriek.

[nikonf3]

With the high contrast it’s going to be difficult for any camera. I’ve yet to see any hardware/software combo that can dig into deep shadows (night) and retain highlights at the same time. That’s why you shoot at blue hour and pretend it’s night. :-)
Last spring we rode on a public transit bus in San Francisco. The interior was as dirty as usual so yeah, no Covid precautionary cleaning. (Fortunately or unfortunately, the Geary bus is like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and the more eminent danger distracts you from possible biological hazards. ) The windows were open and everyone was wearing a mask. The speed made the trip shorter.

[puddleshark]

That’s why you shoot at blue hour and pretend it’s night. :-)

Heh! So true.

The thing I hate most about modern trains here is that they are hermetically sealed. None of the windows open, and you're reliant on ventilation (which stops working if the train breaks down). Makes me really claustrophobic.