Jump!

I believe I can fly

My next photo assignment is to capture movement in the picture. Digital photography students like myself are expected to turn in 3 prints. One picture should capture stop action like this jump pictured above. The second picture should be of a blur due to movement and finally, the last shot should show the panning technique. Panning will be the most difficult for me because I've never done it before. You recognize panning when a moving subject is sharp and in focus, but the background is blurred. Although it's new for me and I'm not entirely comfortable panning, I'm up for trying it out. You know you're learning when something pushes you out of your comfort zone.

Anyway, to shift gears, I've noticed that Oktoberfest has just opened this Saturday, September 20. Why does Oktoberfest start in September you may ask yourself? Well, according to the official Oktoberfest website, it has to do with the weather being better in September, which encourages people to linger longer in the beer gardens. The first Oktoberfest started in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Bavarian prince Ludwig to a princess named Therese.

If you go to the Oktoberfest, you're encouraged to wear Tracht, the traditional Bavarian costume. Keep in mind that this costume is characteristic only of the Southern German areas like Bavaria. Germans in Northern Germany don't really wear this stuff, although many people probably think it's a pan-German thing.

An analogy is with the cowboy look in Texas. Imagine if the foreigners had this stereotype that all Americans dress like cowboys. (Oh, the horror of the thought!) It's a similar thing. Bavaria is so large and rich with traditions that people think it represents the whole country.