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Canon DSLR Challenge | all galleries >> Challenge 101 : Happiness (Hosted by Vikas Malhotra) >> Eligible > Human Flight
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25-AUG-2007 Victor Engel

Human Flight

Austin, TX

The Red Bull Flugtag event opened up with an amazing display by some paratroopers, flaunting their human powered flight abilities for all to see. I can just imagine what it must be like to be able to fly.


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Canon DSLR Challenge31-Aug-2007 15:24
Real nice and hard to capture with such a high zoom, unless you track the subject, in this case his unprectibility is what makes it difficult to shoot. I would be just "happy" to get him in the frame, let alone sharp focus and comp!
-Cat
Canon DSLR Challenge27-Aug-2007 20:16
In case you're not familiar with Flugtag, they set up a large platform that's 20-30 feet tall. Contestants are allowed to attempt to fly using human power from the platform. Their device is limited by size and weight, etc. Before the competition started, three paratroopers glided around the sky above us, making interesting patterns in the sky. Then, without warning, they swooped down in order to alight on the platform.

The first guy didn't make it. He pulled up too late and was about 10 feet too low to make it to the platform. He had a nice, soft landing in the lake instead. The other two, swooped straight down like this and pulled up perfectly, alighting gracefully on the platform.

This photo was rotated about 2 degrees. Another photo I have of one of the other guys would have had to be rotated about 2 degrees in the opposite direction. They really were going straight down.

Anyways, that is the whole point of the picture. Perhaps it's better suited for a confidence category, but I consider it the tension before the inevitable happiness, upon a successful flight, not to mention the happiness during the flight.

By the way, I'm glad the paratrooper was angled so I could see the top of his chute. That helps to show that I didn't simply rotate a horizontal shot.

-- Victor
Canon DSLR Challenge27-Aug-2007 18:55
Ditto what jconradie said, but the angle is disturbing.. I hope he survived!
(I would have thought it reminded Traveller of Ikaros btw ;)
-k2
jnconradie27-Aug-2007 13:04
Spectacular capture and crop. Nicely done, Victor. Regards jnconradie
Canon DSLR Challenge26-Aug-2007 22:29
It is quiet, Victor, a preternatural quietness....silence total and complete without even the sound of the wind rushing by, nothingness, which is maybe why bird sounds are so high and sharp.

BTW, great crop on this wonderful capture.

Best Wishes, Traveller