CARNIVAL MEANS PASSION, FUN AND GREAT PICTURES

My heart was being pulled in all directions on Saturday evening. The reason for my dilemma, should I watch Strictly or the rugby?  In the end I taped both– there’s one for the oldies - and set off down the A30 for Ilminster to photograph the carnival.

Yes I know Ilminster isn’t on the A30, but if you make a right after the Hinton St George turn off, you can sneak along side roads finishing a few yards from the start. Now that’s good photographer knowledge, or so I thought.

My first ever carnival was Castle Cary’s back in the early 90’s. I remember running late and parking as close as I could to the procession start line to enable a speedy getaway …. and being stuck for the next three hours until all the carts, walking entries, bands, majorettes and stewards had gone by.

Ever since then my parking has always included an escape route. This year I arrived at my special only known to me parking space, to find it had been adorned with ‘no parking’ bollards. After cursing my bad luck, let’s just say I had a bit of a hike to the start line.

For many years I used to make a bee line to a ground floor window on one of the first houses the carnival carts passed by.

The family that lived there had a perfect view of the procession as it sang and danced it’s way by. I annually photographed their children, hanging out the window, lit by thousands of coloured lights that lit up their faces. It made for a wonderful photograph, and also I always received a nice cup of coffee, and could leave my coat there if needed. I loved that family.

A few years ago I received sad news in the post… they were moving, and I was inconsolable!

Judging used to be done before the procession started, so everyone was on their floats with lights fired up really early but nowadays the clubs are judged en route! It makes much more sense to do it this way but it means photographers can’s set up pictures before hand. Shame really.

So I concentrate my camera on all the walking entries, just as fun, equally as colourful but with a few less light bulbs, and importantly to a local newspaper, most walking entries are local.

The light is fading fast, but there is just enough ambient light to ensure good sky detail when using directional off flash. As always a big thanks to all the passers-by who I cajoled into holding the flash gun for me.

I love it when they ask ‘what do I press’! They use remote controls for their tv all the time but are still impressed when my camera sets the flash unit off with no leads connecting them.

All in all I took some great pictures, nothing fantastic but good honest photography.

As for the tv I missed. What Rugby? The only England Vs Australia result that mattered happened earlier in the Summer. The Ashes!