Melody Ranch

[TRSmith]

On the way home from dinner at a friend's house last night, I accidentally discovered the Melody Ranch. I'd been sampling the latest from a local Micro Pub and halfway home on the pitch-dark back roads, I urgently required some, um, relief. Just as I was about to pull over and find a convenient snow bank, I saw the sign for what looked to be a roadhouse or bar. I gratefully pulled into the frozen mud of the parking lot and went inside. Instead of a bar, I discovered a dance hall/flea market/used book emporium. It was line dance night at the Ranch!

I went back to my truck, retrieved my M8 and proceeded to shoot a bunch of B&W jpegs at ISO 1250 and 2500. The people were friendly and didn't seem to mind. What I discovered is just how much I have to learn about shooting moving people in a dark space with a rangefinder. Wow. I now have a real appreciation for cameras that have higher ISO tolerances too. These jpegs were a bear to work with and the noise is, well, noisy.

So, for your enjoyment a Saturday night in rural Maine. Comments/ suggestions welcome. More than one of the dancers invited me back to this event as well as several other venues where they get together and dance. I might just go.

 

[TRSmith]

Country Western Line Dancing 1 thru 3.

 

[TRSmith]

CWLD_3-6

 

[Jack]

Great series TR!

 

[TRSmith]

Thanks Jack!

 

[Bob]

Tim,
Maybe we ought to go to Vasselboro to the Grand View cafe
-bob

 

[TRSmith]

Alas, no cameras allowed! Still....

 

[johnastovall]

Great shots! Isn't it wonderful when one just walks into such a place and has a camera at hand.

 

[TRSmith]

Thanks John! At least part of the wonderfulness was the friendly reception I received as a complete stranger with a camera. I felt like family in no time.

 

[helenhill]

Put your left Foot Out
and do the Hoky Poky...

Has that Old World American Hospitality...Lovely

 

[Oxide Blu]

When I saw the title of this thread I thought for sure you were somewhere in Nevada getting yourself in trouble -- fun, but very expensive trouble.


That is a very nice series of pix. :thumbup:

 

[TRSmith]

Thanks Oxide. Very different kind of story for that other ranch! I bet they'd be friendly there too.

 

[ecliffordsmith]

Hi Tim,

A nice series. I personally dont think you have done a bad job on the noise at all. Are Were they very bad out of the camera?

It says a lot of good things about the hospitality of the people in your area that you can walk in and be made to feel welcome!

 

[TRSmith]

Thanks Ed! I spent the first 30 minutes with the M8 set on DNG and Fine at auto ISO and they were all unusable because of noise. I then retreated to JPEG Fine at 1250 and seemed to hit a usable sweet spot. I don't think they're that bad and none of the ones shown here have had any noise reduction applied.

 

[Lloyd]

Wow. Great stuff, Tim. I especially like the final two shots.

I've also found that at high ISO, I tend to get better results shooting jpg. No in-camera sharpening, and contrast set to high or med-high.

Fun series. Love to see more.

 

[TRSmith]

Thanks Lloyd! I do intend to go back again. Hopefully I'll have more to show at some point. Next time I won't be carrying a load of Oak Pond Brewery's Nut Brown Ale which should make me a little quicker on my feet and with fewer thumbs on my hands.

 

[Lloyd]

Thanks Lloyd! I do intend to go back again. Hopefully I'll have more to show at some point. Next time I won't be carrying a load of Oak Pond Brewery's Nut Brown Ale which should make me a little quicker on my feet and with fewer thumbs on my hands.

LOL...Got it!! :thumbs:

BTW, this shoot might be my fav of the series... brilliant!

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

Yeah, but did they have the 'convenience' you were looking for? Or were you taking the photos with crossed legs?

 

[TRSmith]

They did indeed. It was my first stop once inside the door!

Yeah, but did they have the 'convenience' you were looking for? Or were you taking the photos with crossed legs?