Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Well said, Sir. Salut!

En garde!

scokie Loc: Edmond, Oklahoma

I will add. My son has been fencing competitively for several years so I have had opportunity to take photos. It is a challenge as there is not a lot of room where the angles are good. From the end of the strip off to one side you will be able to see one fencer head on. They do not switch sides during ok the bout so you would need to if you want both fencers from a single bout. This is a decent angle to see some front shots, but to see or capture the action you want to be on the side. While the ref moves with the fencers the other side is likely blocked by the scoring table. So you need to be able to shuffle, zoom and take quite a few intuitive shots when you feel it (I'd say burst is key). In current tournaments the blades are wired to there is a light that goes off for the touch. Epee and foil will have some action and blade work before the touch. In saber the current style results in scoring or a halt within seconds of the ref calling "fence" or "allez". Saber is also the hardest to actually see the blade work (parry, riposte etc.).

Also sometimes in a photo it will look like both participants scored so if you can capture the scoring light in the photo it makes it easier to identify who, if anyone, got the touch.

Great sport to watch and reallynis like 3 sports for the price of one as they are very different in rules and technique as they each developed out of true combat swords with different purposes.

Foil is art, Saber is show, and Epee is truth.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

My normal starting point for sports is 1/1000th. Experiment!

Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

droaden

You mentioned using flash. Better check first with venue. Most sporting events,dancing, stage events, ECT do not allow flash

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

Amen! This is why you see many pros using something like a 70-200 f/2.8 wide open. Now, you may have to sell your kids to buy it but you will be able to keep the ISO low and fairly fast shutter.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

I’ve got fast glass, so I’m not worried about that. Depending on how close, I’ll be using 1.4, 1.8, 2 or 2.8 glass, and being that it’s m4/3 the dof will roughly act as 2x that. The biggest thing, however, is that I really don’t want to be shooting at 6400 iso, however I suspect that due to lighting, I will be.

Photocraig

Thanks, Peter, for clarifying the long ago memories. I fenced while Gen. Eisenhower was in the White House.
C

Photocraig

More thoughts,
For accomplished participants, you will notice the variety of grips and bell guards on the weapons. The details next to the gloved hands can make interesting detail shots.

And certainly, an Paul says, get permission, follow instructions and get the hell out of the way.

Have fun,
C

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Very welcome, always nice to meet another fencer.

Salut!

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

More civilized times in my observation.

Photocraig

OP: Note Peter's grip and guard.

Hi Peter,
I fenced in NY City. NYU had Georgio Santelli as their coach and Maestro opened his Studio to us Public School kids. He gave me a short lesson. But breaking the tradition of the unmasked Master, because I was big and SO ungainly he wore a mask. All the other instructors stopped and watched. Just 10 minutes and I started winning some bouts--never matches (a terminal #6 in #1 slot) but I did score better. I was a foil fencer, because that's all we did in HS, in a Saber fencer's body. We also had Maestro Castello at Columbia and he opened up for us too. What an incredible opportunity for kids!

Salut! To you and your Avitar.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

OP: Note Peter's grip and guard.

This is an old pic from a Renaissance Faire (Northern California), and it is a decent weapon, well balanced, and the steel is excellent. It's a rapier, not a current fencing weapon, and it is sharp, so not a sporting weapon. The grip is a little similar to an Italian foil, and of course would need a glove. The guard is very different from a modern fencing weapon, but has its own uses such as entangling an opponent's blade. I hope I'm never a victim of a home invasion, but if so, - and guns are not involved - somebody might get the point. Once would be enough to send the message.

Your suggestion about photographing hilts and grips is good, especially with the variety of orthopedic grips that are now regularly used. Good to see that Leon Paul is still in business.

This has been an interesting discussion. The last time I fenced was at the San Francisco Dicken's Faire last December. I'm definitely out of practice, and a little out of condition. The instructor that I was with is an old friend of my wife's. He certainly beat me - we put on a show for the attendees - but he said I made him work, and said that if I was interested that I could come and work as an instructor in the booth with a bit of practice.

Also, we have a fencing salle two blocks from where I live, and I've often thought of asking to come and photograph there. Now I'm even more motivated to do that.

Photocraig

Hi Peter,
Next time I'm The City for a Giant's game I'll PM and we should hoist a Pint of the Best Bitter available and I'd love to go over the the Salle. It was an out of culture experience for a NY City kid to be involved in such an ancient and cultured endeavor. Fencing prepared me to disarm more than one skinny little knife wielder---even an old #6 like me can dodge a head on charge with no finesse at all.

Craig

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Please do. If I'm around that would be fun.