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Oct 06 2008

Chix and Chainsaws

Posted by jeff in Photography

It’s always a good idea to take your camera with you because you just never know when you will see chix making art with chainsaws (how often do you get to say chainsaw, chick, and art in the same sentence).  This past weekend I was in Old Town Manassas for the Fall Jubilee.  My son’s scout troop was set up for a fundraiser so I took the opportunity to walk around and see what was going on.  What I came across was a demonstration of chainsaw carving being performed by two women.  They called themselves Chix with Chainsaws and it was a lot of fun to watch them do their thing.  Unfortunately the sun was high in the sky and almost in my face.  There was also a barrier of police tape that kept the spectators back a safe distance but made getting tight shots pretty difficult.  I shot at f-2.8 with my 200mm to try and isolate the artists.  To place further emphasis on them I used the new adjustment brush in Lightroom 2 to burn in the surrounding areas.  If you haven’t had the chance use this new feature, I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the possibilities it presents without ever having to take your images into Photoshop.

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This entry was posted on Monday, October 6th, 2008 at 12:02 am and is filed under Photography. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

15 Responses to “Chix and Chainsaws”
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  1. John Says: says:
    August 30, 2009 at 1:05 pm

    OK, had to DL a Jonas Brothers Tiger Beat photo b/cI deleted the one on this computer.Had to see something manly then: http://bit.ly/khfhS

    Reply
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Comments
  1. Roger Dallman says:
    October 6, 2008 at 7:26 am

    The weather was certainly nice for the Jubilee. I meant to get out there. And speaking of getting out there, isn’t it time for one more walk before the weather gets cold? I’ve enjoyed the last two you put on and volunteer to assist if you would like some help.
    Roger

    Reply
  2. Mike Palmer says:
    October 6, 2008 at 10:05 am

    nice captures Jeff!! powertools and girls!! Sexy! I second that walk talk.

    Reply
  3. mannedspace says:
    October 6, 2008 at 10:40 am

    Image 16 makes the top of my favorite. Damn fine saw, too!

    Reply
  4. mike meyer says:
    October 6, 2008 at 10:51 am

    Put them in bikinis and you’ve got yourself a new Olympic Sport.

    mike meyer

    Reply
  5. Goh Keat Liang says:
    October 6, 2008 at 11:01 am

    Wow nice and steady shoot…

    Reply
  6. James Walker says:
    October 6, 2008 at 1:48 pm

    As a photographer it makes me squirm sometimes to see ‘blokes’ clambering over each other to get a shot of a girl. I visited Photokina in Germany last week and I was half amused and half uneasy to see hoards of male photographers with their big telephotos taking pictures of the models that were on show there. I know we are keen to photograph anything remotely interesting when we get the chance and I do this as well, but I have to ask myself sometimes, “Ok, am I photographing the beach volleyball girls hand signals because this makes a good picture or is it because she has a great backside?” I’m not saying you did this Jeff with your great pics, but I think we are all a bit guilty of ulterior motives sometimes and this probably gives us a bad name. Well, anyone who saw the crowds of men taking pictures of those gorgeous models last week at Photokina might have thought this. I think it would be good for us all if more girls got behind the cameras then these scenes wouldn’t look so obvious.

    James
    Freiburg, Germany

    Reply
  7. jeff says:
    October 6, 2008 at 3:07 pm

    James,
    Having been to numerous PMA shows over the years, I understand exactly what it is you are saying. I have to say that I am sometimes embarrassed by the behavior of people shooting the bikini models. It’s like Hooters with cameras. This, I am happy to say, was not one of those occasions. I would have shot the chainsaw carving no matter who was holding the saw. I actually found it interesting though that these women were workinging in what is usually a male dominated genre, and reveling in the fact that they were women, e.g. the name Chix with Chainsaws. Really, I just saw this as an opportunity to shoot something cool in a challenging lighting situation.

    Reply
  8. James Walker says:
    October 6, 2008 at 5:47 pm

    Hi Jeff,

    Yes, I should have stressed more that I didn’t think your pictures were in this ‘Hooters with cameras’ category (well put by the way). I was just reminded of what I saw last week and thought to mention it. It is interesting to see traditionally male dominated roles being played by women, and visa versa. We had a summer street fair here in Germany a few months back and there was a female blacksmith smashing this piece of metal into shape and it also made some great photographs.

    Cheers

    James
    Freiburg, Germany

    Reply
  9. David Cuerdon says:
    October 6, 2008 at 9:37 pm

    Ironically, I’ve been wasting my time trying to find a backer for my new restaurant concept, “Hooters with Chainsaws” ;-)

    Great shots Jeff! Your “fill light” painting with the adjustment brush worked perfect.

    Very fun,

    Dave

    Reply
  10. mike meyer says:
    October 7, 2008 at 7:42 am

    Well to jump back into the fray, the volleyball comment is something my wife brought up during the Olympics. Why do the beach volley ball girls where bikinis and the indoor girls do not. I guess that’s what makes us guys. We’ll take a picture of a pretty girl no matter what the situation. It’s part of our genetic engineering. We can’t help it. Although I have been seeking treatment for it. If you want to look at really well built men, national body builders, check out DaveBlackPhotography.com He’s an amazing photographer that shoots lots of male athletes. He’s married by the way. I think a good shot is a good shot no matter what.
    Just my humble opinion,

    mike meyer

    Reply
  11. Jen Ruth says:
    November 11, 2008 at 11:30 am

    The Chainsaw Chix dig your photos! They are great.. Is it ok we use them on our site ? Do you have a link outside of this one to link back to you ? Thanks for the support.
    Jen
    The Chainsaw Chix

    Reply
  12. david says:
    November 20, 2008 at 4:39 pm

    Hey I think chicks are hot that carry a chainsaw. I like a take charge women and who is a better candiate than a women with a chainsaw.

    Reply
  13. Dick Tilley says:
    January 17, 2009 at 10:36 am

    Being a fellow chainsaw artist and have met and carved with most of the ‘Chix’, I can say that first and formost they are all artists in their own right.

    I think its fantastic of you Jen to pull the Chix together, they are a force on their own!

    The Chix Rock!

    Great pix Jeff, action shots capturing the Chix in the zone!

    dick

    Reply
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