At the Skate Park

[casil403]

Thanks for the nice comments all.
Richard, these kids were more than cooperative. Only one group said no as they said they were more dirt bikers than skatepark riders and didn't want to look dumb (I think). They told me to come down to the dirtbike park in Chestermere as that is where they hang out usually. I spoke with Sean after I shot him in the bowl and he said most of them just love to ham it up and have their picture taken...especially when I gave some of them my contact email and flickr account so the could see the shots and send me a line if they wanted their shots. Sean already has his posted on his Facebook page.
When the kids saw me behind the cone, they really started taking turns to show off their stuff,,,it was so cool to see everybody having a go at it one at a time , getting along with each other, and showing their best moves as they jumped over the cone....the scariest part for me was trying not to get hit but be daring enough to get as close as possible.....lol. Not one of them even got close to me and one guy even moved the cone so it was in front of me so I could get a better shot.
As I said, just learn their names, give them a contact email and offer to send them the photos and you will have them eating out of your hand..they all want some neat shots for their facebook pages...lol! At least that was my experience...and I will go back there and do it again.

This was the closest anybody got to hitting me....and even then he was well far away...and he landed on his feet too!



This kid was really showing off his stuff too....he was pretty awesome to watch and he was loving the attention too. I might go back and find him to see if he wants some shots next week.

[Iguanasan]

I was going to say #3 for me too until I saw today's shots. Serve up a double helping!

I don't know about Richard but I know I wouldn't likely stop at my local skate park either. Men taking photos of kids they don't know end up in jail. Heck there was one poor fellow I read about who got in trouble for taking pictures of his OWN kids.

[casil403]

I was going to say #3 for me too until I saw today's shots. Serve up a double helping!

Thanks Ig

I don't know about Richard but I know I wouldn't likely stop at my local skate park either. Men taking photos of kids they don't know end up in jail. Heck there was one poor fellow I read about who got in trouble for taking pictures of his OWN kids.

Funny I don't think about those things.....maybe I should.
I guess you have a point...sad but true.
You saying that makes me feel like I did something wrong...don't think I did, but having someone say it makes it feel like I did.
Sad days when one feels like it is wrong or bad to innocently take shots of people having fun, enjoying themselves and both doing something they love to do at both ends.

[Iguanasan]

Thanks Ig



Funny I don't think about those things.....maybe I should.
I guess you have a point...sad but true.
You saying that makes me feel like I did something wrong...don't think I did, but having someone say it makes it feel like I did.
Sad days when one feels like it is wrong or bad to innocently take shots of people having fun, enjoying themselves and both doing something they love to do at both ends.

You did absolutely nothing wrong and would likely never be bothered so please don't feel bad. As much as I hate it, it's a man thing. Adult males taking photos of kids they don't know automatically puts us in the category of pedophile regardless of whether we are or not.

[casil403]

Thanks Ig...I guess I just never think of those issues for men or even women I guess... I understand how it must feel for both sides but it still makes me a bit though.

[Iguanasan]

Thanks Ig...I guess I just never think of those issues for men or even women I guess... I understand how it must feel for both sides but it still makes me a bit though.

It is very sad. Unfortunately, it's also just life. There are way too many small minded people in the world.

[casil403]

Small and narrow minded unfortunately. I guess it is a world where you have to assume people have the worst intentions, especially when it comes to your kids.
Anyhow I just finished some processing on this one:..I noticed the shadow on the pavement and thought I would process to enhance while diminishing the distracting elements in the BG...I think with the subject matter it works.

[Iguanasan]

Totally! I betcha this would rock with selective colouring. Pain in the *ss with all the bike detail but it would be totally cool. Great shot.

[Richard]

Some more sweet shots...

I'm not sure about the legality of taking pics of other peoples kids with out their parents consent, I was actually talking more about the kids around here can be pretty rough and have been known in the past to hurl verbal abuse at just about everyone.

I think you have nicely framed the action in these shots, and I like the monochromatic treatment...

[casil403]

Some more sweet shots...

I'm not sure about the legality of taking pics of other peoples kids with out their parents consent, I was actually talking more about the kids around here can be pretty rough and have been known in the past to hurl verbal abuse at just about everyone.

I think you have nicely framed the action in these shots, and I like the monochromatic treatment...

Thanks Richard

Just to be clear.....
These were hardly little kids....there were little kids there with the parents and I made sure to keep them out of the shots...try as they did to get in...lol.
These "kids" and I use the term simply b/c they were younger than me, but all of them were easily past 16 years and the 2 whose names I did get were easily in their early late teens/early 20's...they could have easily hurled abuse at me too and told me to "eff off and get lost"...which is why I too had been intimidated to go there in the past, but as I said they were really quite obliging.