6/16/2005: Office Chair World Championship - Page 2

daniwong · 06-16-2005, 10:41 PM

When the computers would go down at my old office - we would sometimes have chair races. But nothing like this. Frankly - working in an office - this looks like a lot of fun. But knowing my clutz-ish behavior - I would end up amputating some body part trying to get to the finish line.

wolf · 06-17-2005, 12:40 AM

My office does not have room for chair races.

We get some good spins going, though.

06-17-2005, 01:37 AM

Couldn't find anything that on this particular event, however I did run into this web site

http://www.officeolympics.net/

ToastyKen · 06-17-2005, 06:17 AM

Caption from this temporary link:

Quote:

A participant speeds down a road on a office chair during the first office chair World Championships in Olten, Switzerland June 11, 2005. The 64 office chair racers from Germany, France and Switzerland took part in a 200 metres long race in the old town of Olten.

glatt · 06-17-2005, 08:40 AM

Funny picture. I like it. The guy looks so intense.

I don't think the technical skill of the photographer is really anything too special. If there were 64 participants, then the photographer could set up shop at this one jump and have 64 tries to get a good shot. It's a bright, sunny day, so the aperature of the camera can be closed down pretty small, creating a large depth of field. The photographer can pre-focus on the center of the ramp, and still have much of the foreground and background still in focus to allow for the different paths the racers will follow. The participants are not going all that fast compared to a car race, so the shutter speed can be a little longer to create a sense of motion blur. Maybe a 60th of a second or a 30th of a second or so. The previously mentioned small aperature will allow such a relatively long exposure. As each racer goes over the jump, the photographer can hand hold the camera and pan with the motion. That keeps the racer relatively crisp, and blurs the background. Panning isn't so hard. You can't get a good shot every time when you pan the action, but with 64 tries, you will have several that will come out well.

I don't mean to say that the photographer has no talent. It's easy for me to sit here and figure out how the picture was taken. Quite another thing to set up the shot in the first place.

Ubergeek · 06-17-2005, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by capnhowdy

... Dude looks like he's about to have an organism......

Either that or he's already gone off one jump and the gas lifter under the seat is about 3 inches up his butt...

Weird bit is I work for Staples ... we sell these chairs and I sure as heck wouldn't want to be putting those caster through that kind of torture. Can you say Pavement Rash boys and girls?

wolf · 06-17-2005, 11:21 AM

That's all part of the fun.

Haven't you ever cheered for the inevitable wheelchair pileup at the turn at the downhill at the start of the Boston Marathon?

Ubergeek · 06-17-2005, 11:28 AM

No...

But I do have to admit that I only watch NASCAR for the crashes ... I mean, come on ... does anybody really want to watch 33 rednecks drive real fast in a circle?

wolf · 06-17-2005, 11:45 AM

3.3 million other rednecks?

capnhowdy · 06-17-2005, 02:58 PM

The only reason I watch any sport is to see someone bust their ass.
Well almost.
I like to see them bust each others asses too.

Brett's Honey · 06-17-2005, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ubergeek

No...

But I do have to admit that I only watch NASCAR for the crashes ... I mean, come on ... does anybody really want to watch 33 rednecks drive real fast in a circle?

well.....I do.....and actually the top 43 cars qualify for race day......and not all the tracks they race on are circles .....(I could tell by your post you'd want to know this......)

xoxoxoBruce · 06-17-2005, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

It's a bright, sunny day, so the aperature of the camera can be closed down pretty small, creating a large depth of field.

But if you look closely the depth of field isn't that deep. Really the only thing that's sharp is the upper half of his body.

Uh...and his right knee.

Ubergeek · 06-19-2005, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brett's Honey

well.....I do.....and actually the top 43 cars qualify for race day......and not all the tracks they race on are circles .....(I could tell by your post you'd want to know this......)

Actually I am impressed these days ... when I was a kid (I'm 40 btw) I just cound't see what all the hub-bub was with NASCAR ... I mean come on, they were not very fast and did in those days drive only in circles. Not really very impressive.

But in last decade or so? 200 miles per hour plus, bumper to bumper ... it might not be the same skills as an F-1 driver taking hairpin corners at 150, but that still takes some guts and real skill to pull off. You also must have to have a lot of faith in your fellow drivers... I sure as hell wouldn't want to have some guy tailgating me that speed!

jaguar · 06-19-2005, 10:22 AM

Panning is always much harder than you think. You're right, it's damn sunny so the apature was probably (thinking sunny F/8 and drop two stops for the shutter speed) 11 or 16 to get a slow enough shutter speed for the background blur but it's still a bitch to pull off right. Not a straight pan either, he just went over a jump.

CharlieG · 06-20-2005, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brett's Honey

well.....I do.....and actually the top 43 cars qualify for race day......and not all the tracks they race on are circles .....(I could tell by your post you'd want to know this......)

Yeah, twice a year, they turn RIGHT

06-16-2005, 10:41 PM	#16
daniwong Vice-President of Resentment Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 196	When the computers would go down at my old office - we would sometimes have chair races. But nothing like this. Frankly - working in an office - this looks like a lot of fun. But knowing my clutz-ish behavior - I would end up amputating some body part trying to get to the finish line. __________________ Mistress of all that is claim related.

06-17-2005, 12:40 AM	#17
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	My office does not have room for chair races. We get some good spins going, though. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

06-17-2005, 11:21 AM	#22
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	That's all part of the fun. Haven't you ever cheered for the inevitable wheelchair pileup at the turn at the downhill at the start of the Boston Marathon? __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

06-17-2005, 11:28 AM	#23
Ubergeek Simulated Simulacrum Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Nova Scotia, Canada Posts: 39	No... But I do have to admit that I only watch NASCAR for the crashes ... I mean, come on ... does anybody really want to watch 33 rednecks drive real fast in a circle? __________________ Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't tell where it keeps its brain. Arthur Weasley

06-17-2005, 11:45 AM	#24
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	3.3 million other rednecks? __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

06-17-2005, 01:37 AM	#18
Packey Guest Posts: n/a	Couldn't find anything that on this particular event, however I did run into this web site http://www.officeolympics.net/

06-17-2005, 08:40 AM	#20
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Funny picture. I like it. The guy looks so intense. I don't think the technical skill of the photographer is really anything too special. If there were 64 participants, then the photographer could set up shop at this one jump and have 64 tries to get a good shot. It's a bright, sunny day, so the aperature of the camera can be closed down pretty small, creating a large depth of field. The photographer can pre-focus on the center of the ramp, and still have much of the foreground and background still in focus to allow for the different paths the racers will follow. The participants are not going all that fast compared to a car race, so the shutter speed can be a little longer to create a sense of motion blur. Maybe a 60th of a second or a 30th of a second or so. The previously mentioned small aperature will allow such a relatively long exposure. As each racer goes over the jump, the photographer can hand hold the camera and pan with the motion. That keeps the racer relatively crisp, and blurs the background. Panning isn't so hard. You can't get a good shot every time when you pan the action, but with 64 tries, you will have several that will come out well. I don't mean to say that the photographer has no talent. It's easy for me to sit here and figure out how the picture was taken. Quite another thing to set up the shot in the first place.

06-17-2005, 02:58 PM	#25
capnhowdy Blatantly Homosapien Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 6,200	The only reason I watch any sport is to see someone bust their ass. Well almost. I like to see them bust each others asses too. __________________ Please type slowly. I can't read very fast............... and no holy water, please.

06-19-2005, 10:22 AM	#29
jaguar whig Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 5,075	Panning is always much harder than you think. You're right, it's damn sunny so the apature was probably (thinking sunny F/8 and drop two stops for the shutter speed) 11 or 16 to get a slow enough shutter speed for the background blur but it's still a bitch to pull off right. Not a straight pan either, he just went over a jump. __________________ Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life. - Twain

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