Cavalia 2015: Your Eyes Only

The "Lounge" for the Press, complete with boutique and buffet. Cavalia has some tight restrictions, but they take care of the press!

The Money Shot: I submitted two. While this was my second choice, it was my Editor's first.

This was actually my first choice. I liked the more pleasing color rendition, but the galloping horse was chosen for publication. Hey, what's with the eye?

Lots of jumping using these cheetah feet. Very impressive, but my photos weren't that great.

My one gripe is the low level of light. Most of the images show some motion blur, and the overall softness that comes from shooting at less-than-optimal apertures.

Procession on the Plains. A splendid illusion of a very real landscape and a back-projected sky on a fabric background.

The set actually had a "mountain range" behind it. The sky is a projection. The results, when photographed, are stunning.

Nothing spectacular about this shot, It's an exercise in patience, waiting for the woman to be properly positioned in the light, and for the horse to take an interesting stance. Trite photo, but it's MY trite photo!

 A carousel was lowered from the ceiling to showcase the aerialists in the troupe.

Posed shot taken during a Q & A session at the show's conclusion.Had I asked the young lady to look up, as I heard another photographer doing, I'd have had a pleasing portrait. I guess I wasn't in the mood, since I already had the shot I wanted. The shot could have been salvaged with some fill-flash, but out of concerns for the performers and the horses, flash photography was forbidden. I should have asked the performer to close her eyes, smile, and place her cheek against the horse's forehead.

The cast takes a bow.

After the show, the horses are taken back to the stable. After seeing them perform, it's easy to forget that a startled horse in a crowded venue can result in some serious injury. Handlers were about, mainly for the safety of the participants.

Horsey getting a bath.