Yesterday was a fun day for me, full of unexpected situations and challenges. The plan was to attend an event called Harvest Day in a Transylvanian city called Mediaș. I've been wanting to photograph such an event one time somewhere, and this one came in the right time, at the right place, so I thought why miss it.
When I passed by the event, noticed that the square was already packed, which was strange as the booth or the tables full of goodies were at the edge of the square. Then I saw the stage and some girls jumping up and down on, probably dancing. After offloading my luggage, I went back to attend the event and that's where I learnt that this was more than just Harvest Day. There will be a post about the Harvest Day too, shortly, but what I'd like to show you today is a kickboxing show, presented by the A.C.S Dragon Fight Kickboxing Academy, Mediaș.
I was totally unprepared for such an event, had no idea such demonstration is going to take place on the stage, but could not miss the occasion either, for several reasons. First I thought I would take a couple of photos and that would be all, but then my plan changed.
Professional sports photographers usually show up way before the event starts, test the venue, pick the best place and set up their extremely expensive and efficient gear. They know what lens they are going to use, ISO, shutter speed and all the rest. Giving the moving targets, you needed to know what you are doing, if you wanted results. Otherwise you'd be wasting your time. Me the rookie, totally unprepared with my crappy mobile phone, in the middle of the crowd formed by parents, eager to see their kids performing. You can guess the rest.
So first I had to find a place close to the stage, in such a way, to not disturb the enthusiastic parents and siblings in the first raw, filming and streaming the event. I could never do that, so I thought the side of the stage would do this time. Their experience and joy is more important than mine.
So I stopped at the left corner of the stage, positioned my camera and pressed on the button, then again, then again an took God knows how many hundreds of photos, hoping to get a few half decent ones. After all, life is all about doing the best with what you have, so why step back from a challenge.
This demonstration was brought to the public by the local kickboxing club. There were children of all ages on the stage, starting from 3 to 14 (I guess).
They say you can never start too early and yesterday we saw what that means. Girls and boys of all ages, showed us what they knew.
At first there was a presentation of the moves, coordinated by the coach. Then the kids chose their opponent and performed the moves, then taking turns.
Me totally caught of guard by the event, I tried to capture them in action and also tried to pay attention to their facial expression, choose the pair that was not jut executing the moves in a robotic way, but enjoying it as well and these two guys were the winners.
Look at them, they were having the time of their life.
Ladies also had the chance to take the spotlight and shine.
And this was the moment when everyone's heart melted. Look at the little guy, who stole the whole show. I don't know how old he was, maybe 3, but not more. He's the son of the trainer, the proud dad behind him. You can never start too early I guess, can you?! :)
The boy called Luca, kneeling in front of him, sacrificed himself for the show, playing the punchbag and everyone was laughing.
Bang! The little guy took the job very seriously :))
And he knew how to protect himself as well. No one knows what the future holds but is it possible I just saw the future champion fighting? 😂
All in all it was a fun event. I loved what these kids did on the stage and I'm also glad there are clubs in that city, trying to raise the next generation of champions. As about me, it was a nice learning experience. It put me to the test, but I think I did an acceptable job, considering the conditions. There was not one photo that had to be deleted and what you see here was not edited either. Could have done better with a decent camera, but maybe in the near future :)
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Hello @erikah! It sounds like you had an adventurous and enjoyable day at the Harvest Day event in Mediaș! Unexpected situations and challenges often make for the best stories and learning experiences.
It's inspiring to see that even without preparation, you were willing to take on the challenge and capture the event through your lens, with enthusiasm and an open mind.
The joy and enthusiasm of the kids in your photographs are palpable! It's heartwarming to see them not only learning and practicing kickboxing but also thoroughly enjoying the process. These candid moments of joy and concentration you've captured tell a compelling story of dedication, fun, and the thrill of being on stage.
Great post @erikah
Hi @rak7 nice to see you here :) It was an adventure from every point of view. Unexpected situations can bring unexpected and spontaneous solutions, which is the best. Maybe this was a push I needed to take photos at such an event and learn how to do it.
I couldn't agree more. Imagine what it means to them to get on the stage and show the crowd what they know.
This event was a lot of fun and I think it's time to target a few more and practice taking photos.
Thanks for stopping by @rak7 and have a nice week 😀
It sounds like it was a lot of fun, and I'm impressed that you were able to get such good photos with your mobile phone.
I especially like the photos of the little boy, Luca. He's so cute and determined, and it's clear that he's having a great time. I also like the photos of the girls and boys performing. They're all so talented and skilled.
I'm glad you had a good time at the event, and I hope you're able to get a decent camera in the near future. I can't wait to see what photos you take with it!
Thank you @malos10, I did my best :)
The little boy was indeed a lot of fun, but he's not Luca. Luca is his punchbag 😁. I don't know what the name of the little boy was, but he stole everyone's heart.
The only reason I don't buy a camera for now is that I don't have much free time to spend on learning how to handle it. But that time will come :)
poor Luca.
you can still use it in automatic mode and still get a better result than using the phone
Me encantan tus contenidos ,me haces viajar con ellos,hermosas fotografías te felicito de todo corazón de parte de esta abuelita.
Many thanks @laabuelita, that's the idea behind blogging, take the reader with you on your journey.
Such games are very important for the good health of children. Physical activities make children's brain work better and it is very good for their future.
You are right about that. Sports can help children develop a lot and in this age of gadgets, getting them to do sports is crucial.
Yeah.
These little guys look well trained. I've taken some photos of martial arts like Karate, and it's interesting because you can capture the subtlety of the movements they perform. Cheers!
There are a good few hours, weeks and months of raining behind this show for sure.
These events are fun for sure, and I'm glad you had the chance to participate in that Karate show. It teaches you a lot.
Enjoy your day @wilfredocav!
They are interesting disciplines, my wife used to practice Karate and now she would like to go back to practice it again, and well in my case I like to take pictures of these activities. Greetings and good day!
These photos are so beautiful. You were able to capture the movements and that's what makes it more interesting. Have you ever of the saying that "What a man do, a woman can it better"? That girl is the real definition of it, she is really doing it so well like the guys.
Lol, I've never heard of that saying, but it might s well be true. Here women have a different status, so seeing them fighting is normal. But you're right, that girl was amazing.
Even if you take the picture with a cellphone, all your shots look so attractive.
In our city it is probably quite rare to see shows like this and the boy (Luca) looks very serious about facing his opponents and seems to have the same hobbies as his parents.and this is quite a fun show to watch, isn't ? :)
Why is rare to see such events in your city? Aren't they organizing demonstrative shows for kids?
When daddy is a trainer, the kid has 99% chance to end up practicing the same sports 🙂
Hmm 😊, you know, we live in a small town so it's a little rare to find shows like this .
Oh, I see. Well, maybe one day you'll have the chance to travel to such an event.
Fascinating sporting event, the youth formed by the Kickboxing Academy A.C.S Dragon Fight, Mediaș. I like your post because of the substance of adrenaline that secretes your cheerful and dynamic photographs, @erikah 😁
Lol, that means I did an acceptable job. Thank you!
Nice day out for you, and it is always good to see kids enjoying themselves away from their damn technology.
We agree on that. It's not easy to get them away from their gadgets and social media in general, but these are on the right path already. If you get them to know the sport and have some results, there's a high chance they will continue.
spot on!
I love that in the first pictures the kids look scary with their bully faces and then when the real battle begins they look like what they are, kids enjoying a fun activity. You have captured the essence of everything that happened at this event and at the same time fulfilled a personal goal of being able to photograph them. I loved your post Erikah, congratulations!...
This is a fight, they need to look scary for their opponent, but then the real fun begins.
Thanks for the nice comment @jesuslnrs and have a nice day :)
Never too early to start, nor too late. Like your photography journey. With just amateur equipment you've done so well. You made a plan, worked out your strength and weaknesses, and gave it a go. And what wonderful pictures you've taken!
Now you have to also integrate post production! Looking forward to more of your photographs from other events.
Many thanks @blind-spot, I did what I could in the situation. I always use post processing, but not in this case. Somehow it did not feel right. In any case, it was a good practice and not I know more, in case I'll have another occasion.
You really did a great job with those pictures. Perhaps you could try to zoom in a bit more to focus on just one subject and be less distracting. Or play a bit with the most powerful scenes and turn them in black and white. At least this is what I would do but you made a great job either way 😁
Thanks Gabriela, I didn't ant to zoom in as that would meant sacrificing quality, so I went on with this. I'm a huge fan of black and whit too, but somehow this seemed right using colors :)
By the way, I've been meaning to contact you and ask you about rules in your community. One of which is link the event's website, but many don't have any, just mention in the press. So what do i do? Is a newspaper article enough for you? 😏
Fair enough. 😁
Absolutely! It's just an optional rule so I don't mind if you don't add anything like that at all. I know how real the struggle is sometimes.
Also, you can contact me on discord if you have any other questions. You can find me as #GabrielaTravels 😁
😃 Even without preparing so much or setting up 'extremely expensive and efficient gear', you still came up so beautifully and clear pictures. These are definitely not from a crappy phone, your phone is awesome.😂
I really can understand the joy of parents seeing their children doing amazing stuff like this.
You did just a perfect job and I'm looking forward to the Harvest Day post.
More grease to your elbow @erikah
Thank you @oredebby. You are right, it's a huge joy for every parent, to see their kids on the stage, this is why I did not want to disturb them and chose a corner where I could take photos from.
Harvest day post is coming soon.
Awesome. Looking forward to that.
Awesome. Looking forward to that.
This looks like so much fun.
As always, your photos make us feel like we were there, the coach was surely very proud of his little one demonstrating all his skill, the children always entertain us and we are touched by seeing how they strive to be the best, moving photography is not easy but They turned out excellent, everything can be detailed very precisely.
Sometimes the unexpected is the most fun. The photos perfectly fulfill their purpose, to tell us in pictures what you experienced, they are perfect. Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week.🌞
Wow, I really like seeing photos of these children..