Jen Fawkes, EPSA, SPSA
September 2025 - The Big Boys
About the Image(s)
At the end of the AFL (Aust rules football) season, just before the grand final, Melbourne hosts the Footy Parade, where the two teams in the finals parade along the streets to cheering crowds. Its always entertaining, with larger than life characters, mascots, music and of course the players (and families) driven down the street.
I tried to set myself up so that I had a full view of the parade characters coming towards me, and the light off to the right. The light was harsh (nothing I can do about that) so to get a shallower depth of field the shutter speed was huge!
Taken on Olympus EM1 mk2, 12-100 mm Olympus lens at 80mm
F5, SS 1/4000th, ISO 400 (this is my usual street setting but could easily have been reduced).
4 comments posted
Well those are some costumes. Kind of off-putting to me, but I'm sure very popular to the footy fans. Your colors, focus and subject matter always a treat to see. Melbourne is an interesting city I wish I'd had more time to explore years ago. Posted: 09/01/2025 15:59:08
Very interesting Jen. I've never seen anything like that before! Great colors and nice handling of the challenging lighting conditions. Posted: 09/08/2025 06:32:08
Jen, I like this scene and the colors of the characters. Especially interesting to me is that the Sydney Swans are represented as they are the team my son-in-law and granddaughter love as they are from Australia. I have had to order from Sydney to get them shirts as gifts. The stadium in the background also creates interest giving the viewer a total idea that this is a major footy event. People behind the barricades also show great enthusiasm through their facial expressions. Camera settings seem appropriate for the lighting conditions. Posted: 09/10/2025 15:58:40
Hi Jen. I may have caught you out with the timing of this photo Sydney Swans did not make the finals 2025, 2024 last time. Brisbane Lions yes. Does not matter anyway they have only missed 3 final series in 20 years, won only 2 grand finals in same period.
A fine photo anyway as it captures "finals fever" of Melbourne and yes Victorians experience a public holiday on the Friday before the grand final, the last Saturday in September. We also have a public holiday for a horse race, 1st Tuesday in November the Melbourne Cup.
Surprised our American friends have not seen something similar, I did in Washington DC, the USA Presidents race, similar figures raced around the stadium to alleviate any boredom felt by fans. Told that by a most enjoyable Saturday afternoon sitting amongst American baseball fans several years ago. Carn the Saints, perhaps 2026? Posted: 09/10/2025 22:24:04
A fine photo anyway as it captures "finals fever" of Melbourne and yes Victorians experience a public holiday on the Friday before the grand final, the last Saturday in September. We also have a public holiday for a horse race, 1st Tuesday in November the Melbourne Cup.
Surprised our American friends have not seen something similar, I did in Washington DC, the USA Presidents race, similar figures raced around the stadium to alleviate any boredom felt by fans. Told that by a most enjoyable Saturday afternoon sitting amongst American baseball fans several years ago. Carn the Saints, perhaps 2026? Posted: 09/10/2025 22:24:04