A Spur Of The Moment Bikini Contest

Last Friday I had returned home from a four day trip and planned on spending a quiet evening at the house unpacking and unwinding. I could have stayed in, but shortly into my newsfeed I saw one of the local Hooters was hosting the Southeast Regional Bikini Contest.

Seize the day! I can stay in and unwind tomorrow. Or so I tell myself as I grab my camera gear and head out the door. The event starts in 15 min. I’m only 10 min away. I can totally make this! Crap, there’s also a food truck rally going on and half the streets are shut down. So I park 3 blocks away and jog the rest of the way with all my gear.

Phew! They are running a few minutes behind and it seems more people are that the food truck thing and I have no problem getting right up next to the security barrier.

Military Tribute

This is a military town, after all. A portion of the proceeds were going to the Wounded Warriors Project and one of the judges happened to be a wounded veteran. So the show started with a tribute to them. Some did a better job than others with their outfits. The Navy one was my favorite.

The Army tribute turned out well, too. ;)

Time For The Bikinis

You’d think it wouldn’t be too difficult to shoot a bikini contest. The girls walk out and down the catwalk, stop, pose, and walk back. Nope! You’d be wrong. Like this photo, her face is blown out and her skin is a weird color.

The lighting, for the most part, is terrible. The contest is being held at night and outdoors. There are people bumping into you. The girls don’t really stop to pose. They walk down, stop for a half-second, turn, and walk away. Fortunately, I’m used to shooting action in low light scenarios from the work I do with concerts, so I was able to quickly make some adjustments and come away with some great images.