Fire Performer 9-26-2013

Capturing another evening performance at the Torrington Downtown Marketplace offered a great opportunity to experiment with high-contrast monochrome conversion. Isolating the blast of flame against the deep night sky eliminated distracting background streetlights and put all the focus on the raw light output of the performance itself.

Processed in rich black and white, this shot freezes a fire performer blowing a billowing spherical ball of flame straight into the air. The intense luminescence illuminates the performer’s silhouette and cast shadow across the asphalt street while leaving the watching crowd submerged in deep shadows under the dark night sky overhead.