Fire Performer 9-11-2013

Photographing the Thursday night Downtown Marketplace in Torrington always provided plenty of energetic street action and lively local atmosphere. The fire performer troupe drew big crowds into the street, and timing the camera shutter with their massive fireball breath required quick reflexes in low light surrounded by onlookers.

A female performer in a flowing red skirt leans back as a massive burst of flame erupts upward into the night air. The roaring fireball casts warm golden illumination across her face and the asphalt street, standing out dramatically against the dark city backdrop and evening crowds watching from the sidewalks nearby.