Polished

Young skater, mall rink.

GLOW is the challenge topic.

Yesterday I went shopping for a coffee grinder and ended up at the ice rink. Consoled myself for my failed errand by watching the skaters flash past, iPhone in hand. Scores of shots, none successful.

Today I arrived just as the Zamboni machine was resurfacing the ice. The reflected lights of surrounding shops glowed on the polished surface. I had returned, ostensibly to bring home a grinder I'd seen in the store, but it turns out I was shown it online. I quickly completed my errand (result again incomplete), and returned to the rink just in time for the arrival of the first skaters.

Many charming scenes.

* Tall grandfather, somewhat stiff-backed, guiding his little grinning granddaughter by holding her against his knees as they skated together.
* Plump young woman of extraordinary grace and skill practicing her seemingly effortless moves (whose names I have forgotten since the last Winter Olympics).
* Two Asian girls in their early teens, braids and eyeglasses and buck teeth and somewhat odd skating costumes, exuberantly practicing, falling and laughing and getting up and conferring and then doing it all over again, and again.
* Tall cool slender (okay, skinny) blonde, an accomplished skater, repeating a move in which she squatted on one leg with the other thrust out ahead of her, an inch or two above the ice, until (by choice? could she not rise up?) she ended by sliding on her backside. Picked herself up matter-of-factly, dusted the ice from her bottom, and glided off to do it again.
* A little blond boy, seen yesterday as well, who never seemed to get beyond clinging desperately to the railing!
* Little girl, first time on skates, following her mom's instructions to "step-step-step, that's it, then stop; step-step-step...."

Best of all, this radiant child, such a beautiful skater! I noticed her take a few turns and was immediately drawn to her. Disappointed when she disappeared off the ice. Spotted her across the rink with her family. Were they leaving? No, after a few minutes she reappeared. Such a sweet beautiful face, and such grace of movement. She was fast, too. She possessed a skill set unusual for her age (around six, I'd say), and seemed to glow with delight at her competence. As she passed me she would turn her head toward me with a smile. She knew she was being photographed, and seemed to be giving me permission. A blessing, even.

So here is my attempt to capture her radiance.

If anyone knows how to take action shots with an iPhone 4S, please do inform me! I tried panning, I tried burst mode, I tried HDR off, I tried HDR on (which got me this capture). There's a second skater in the shot who was moving so fast that the HDR captured two separate blurry images of her. You can see the blue line under the ice divide into two! I'm not sure what to make of the shot photographically, but I wanted to remember this child's glow.

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I wrote another poem today: "The Missing Years." Persevering in a creative effort and ending up with something that pleases me always makes me glow. This one is not yet ready for prime time, but a good first draft.


(HDR, uncropped, extensively fiddled with in iPhoto .)