#the amount of TIMES the shot ended up overexposing itself even though i had the game exposure cranked all the way down

[cybernomads]

you got a fast car // i want a ticket to anywhere maybe we can make a deal // maybe together we can get somewhere

[creative-splurges]

More Cornish Sunsets

I remember my trip to Cornwall in 2013 with my wife and her parents very fondly, not least because my father-in-law is no longer with us. Whilst there on most evenings we were blessed with some beautiful sunsets. On that trip we were staying in the outskirts of Tintagel with a farm to provide the foreground for the handful of photographs I took.

In 2018, the first summer after my father-in-law passed, we returned to Tintagel with my mother-in-law. This time we were staying on a lovely cottage somewhere else on the outskirts of the town. The week we picked to go away just happened to be the start of a heatwave in the UK, so we were graced with some staggering sunsets almost every evening of the trip.

The view, even from our bedroom window, was stunning.

1/320sec, f/8, ISO 100, 24mm

1/320sec, f/8, ISO 100, 24mm

From our vantage point you could see the sun hit the sea, making for a spectacular view.

1/250sec, f/8, ISO 100, 100mm

Even better, from the paddock of the cottage we had a bit more of a foreground to make the shots a little more interesting. The challenge, unlike the shots above (where I was aiming only for the sky), was finding the right balance of exposure to capture the brilliant vibrant colours of the sunset, whilst still making the foreground bright enough for you to see what it is. It’s hard not to overdo it and get a result that looks relatively natural. There are a couple of ways you can process images to get a result, with perhaps one offering a more natural look than the other.

The first is to simply take a single shot, slightly overexposed if possible, then when editing adjust the exposure, shadows and highlights to extract as much detail as possible out of a single image, such as below:

1/50sec, f/8, ISO 100, 24mm

The downside to that method is if your shadows are too dark, there won’t be much detail to find, and you could end up with a noisy image.

The other, perhaps more well known way, is HDR or High Dynamic Range processing. Basically you take two or three shots at different exposures (traditionally, one normal, one underexposed by a stop or two, and one overexposed by the same amount), then use software to combine them, extracting all the details from each exposure as needed and resulting in a shot that contains more obvious detail, but might look a little less natural:

f/8, ISO 100, 24mm (HDR)

Comparing the two can be tricky. I like the detail I’ve gotten in the second photo of the bench in the foreground, but the sky clearly looks a lot better in the first photo, albeit with the bench disappearing into the shadows. You could ask me ten times on different days which one I’d prefer and half the time I’d give you a different answer. Let me know which you prefer in the comments.

The images in this post are processed using a mixture of the two techniques, although mostly they’re done using the former.

I also tried composing with just a fence and a field in the foreground.

f/8, ISO 100, 24mm (HDR)

I think the main reason I might prefer the non-HDR versions of these images is because the blue and orange hues of the sky are more vibrant in the single exposure shots.

1/125sec, f/8, ISO 100, 24mm

Even once the sun itself had set the brilliant colours continued.

1/10sec, f/8, ISO 100, 24mm

Facing in the other direction, you could see the Moon over the cottage where we were staying.

0.4sec, f/4, ISO 100, 24mm

As I said at the start, we were gifted with sunsets of this magnitude every evening for a week. That does mean I might get confused over which photographs were from which days, but they are all being posted in chronological order. I guess if the sun appears suddenly higher in a photo it’s probably from a new day.

f/8, ISO 100, 24mm (HDR)

After using a bench as foreground garnish earlier I made use of a picnic bench.

1/80sec, f/8, ISO 100, 24mm

Most of the time though I was content to use the field and the fence as a foreground, liking the green of the grass contrasting against the orange and blues of the sky.

10sec, f/8, ISO 100, 24mm

1/50sec, f/8, ISO 100, 24mm

I still occasionally just ignored the concept of foregrounds in order to get the last glimpses of the sun as it disappeared over the horizon.

1/160sec, f/8, ISO 100, 92mm

1/20sec, f/8, ISO 100, 28mm

On a later day I was a bit more prepared and was out in the paddock in the latter stages of golden hour, before sunset had truly begun.

1/200sec, f/9, ISO 100, 24mm

1/500sec, f/8, ISO 100, 35mm

In order to counter the much brighter sun I broke out my lesser-used neutral density (ND) filter.

1/50sec, f/4, ISO 100, 24mm

I love the colours of the grass in the background. Obviously I was exposing for that, not the sun through the filter. When you actually attach the filter to the lens and shoot properly I was able to get much longer exposures.

10sec, f/8, ISO 100, 24mm

As you’d expect, each day I shot until the last sliver of sun had disappeared over the horizon and the sky had calmed down. Sadly we never saw any green flashes whilst we were there.

10sec, f/8, ISO 100, 45mm

However I’m a lazy photographer by nature and the next day when the sun was offering yet another stunning display I didn’t bother with the filter. In hindsight, looking at the finished shots it did work nicely to soften the harshness of the sun itself. I’d like to say this was a learning experience for the next time but I hadn’t edited these by the next time, or indeed the time after. So hopefully it’s learned for the time after that.

1/160sec, f/8, ISO 100, 24mm

Sometimes I took the exposure time right down to capture the sun and the clouds at the expense of most of the colour.

1/2000sec, f/8, ISO 100, 105mm/

1/200sec, f/8, ISO 100, 105mm

1/250sec, f/8, ISO 100, 105mm

Of all the foreground elements I used, I generally used this gate the most often.

1/50sec, f/8, ISO 100, 35mm

1/50sec, f/8, ISO 100, 58mm

1/125sec, f/8, ISO 100, 105mm

1/60sec, f/8, ISO 100, 58mm

Sometimes my attempts at shooting the final slices of sun ended up looking a lot moodier than I’d really intended.

1/500sec, f/4, ISO 100, 24mm

Of course, usually I ended up photographing that gate.

1/160sec, f/4, ISO 100, 24mm

The final sunset of our holiday was one of the more intense ones.

1/800sec, f/8, ISO 100, 28mm

1/60sec, f/8, ISO 100, 32mm

1/100sec, f/8, ISO 100, 28mm

1/40sec, f/10, ISO 100, 24mm

1/500sec, f/4, ISO 100, 105mm

By this point in the holiday everyone else staying in the block of cottages had gotten wise to the natural beauty on display.

1/640sec, f/4, ISO 100, 105mm

But with that, the sun set for the last time on our holiday.

1/100sec, f/8, ISO 100, 24mm

I would hope that you can clearly see the difference in quality and approach from the sunsets I photographed in 2013 and these ones from five years later.

We returned to the same place in 2019 and had a similarly good batch of sunsets, so expect to see images of those somewhere down the line. We did the same in 2020. And later this year we’ll be going back again, so maybe we’ll be lucky for a fifth time.

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[axiumin]

Snapshot | Chen x Reader

Hi, lovely! Guess who? ;) You've got Admin T here from Noona-Clock! Sending you a fluffy Jongdae request. I'll let you choose- either a Model!AU or Backstage!AU (like the Little Something MV). Looking forward to it, dear, and fighting!! ❤️ Admin T

 @noona-clock Admin T, I am thrilled to bits that my first requested story is for you! I had a lot of fun with this one and may have gotten a bit carried away at times, so I hope dearly you find it to your liking. <3 

Perhaps it was due to your nature as a photographer, but treasured moments stuck out to you as if frozen in time, like snapshots. After you met Jongdae, you found that there were plenty of such treasured moments.

Pairing: Chen x Reader

Genre: Fluff, Model!AU

Words: 2.5k+

It was way too early for it to be this bright.

You’d been in the business long enough to know the importance of getting an early start for the day, yet you couldn’t help but sigh as your sleep-heavy eyes squinted against the studio lights.

Still, at least you had something to make it worth being up at this time of the morning. Today, you’d be working with Jongdae, an up and coming model whose career took off quicker than anyone expected. Well, maybe not totally unexpected. You’d seen the pictures, same as anyone else: the high cheekbones, the expressive eyes, the curved mouth. The man was gorgeous and— more importantly— he photographed well.

The artist in you was thrilled at the chance to take photos of him. You may be one of many photographers working with him, but you knew that if you pulled this off well enough, your career might soar just as high as his.

You were fiddling with one of your film cameras when Jongdae arrived. He was clearly just as affected by the early morning hour as you, but even with his baseball cap and the faint circles under his eyes, he was strikingly handsome.

His handsomeness increased tenfold when he made eye contact with you and grinned, bright and charming.

“Hi, I’m Jongdae,” he introduced himself, sounding far more energetic than he looked. Butterflies erupted in your stomach; you already knew this was going to be a fantastic shoot.

“I’m Y/N,” you returned, putting your camera down so you could gesture around the studio. “What do you think?”

Jongdae looked around, taking in the lighting, the backdrops, and the props. He nodded approvingly. “I like it. I think this is going to turn out great,” he said. He wasn’t the first person to say something like that to you, but when his eyes returned to yours, you were struck by his earnestness.

You cleared your throat. “Alright, then. Good. How about we get you set up with the stylist and ready to go?” You nodded at him and turned back to your camera, watching him walk away out of the corner of your eye.

.

There’s something honest about photography. Sure, there’s retouching and editing that can make a picture look nothing like its reality, but the photograph itself, the original version, is one of the most truthful things in the world. You’ve seen firsthand the raw honesty of photographs: a fleeting emotion, immortalized in film; impatience, exemplified by a blurred border or overexposed brightness; the clutter and mess of humans.

But just as photographs are a reflection of the humans they capture, so too do they reflect the perspective of humans. You became a photographer so that you could share your view with the world, and you take great pains to do that, no matter what project you take on.

.

You had already finished setting up and double checking all of the equipment by the time the stylist was finished with Jongdae. That meant he had your full attention when he stepped into the studio lights, every detail of his appearance carefully curated, from his slightly mussed hair to the bold, contrasting colors he wore.

Now more than ever, you were eager to get started. Already, you could imagine the different details to hone in on, the different ways of capturing this man in photographs. You were still reflecting on this when he spoke.

“I’m ready to go if you are,” he said. Your eyes flicked back up to his as a confident smile spread across your face.

“Let’s do this.”

.

Here’s what you saw: dark hair falling into dark eyes. The sweet curve of a mouth hinting at mischief. Bright lights playing off the curve of a cheekbone. A glimpse of a strong chest hiding behind a bold shirt. A face unable to hide its honesty as it asks, “Can you see me? Do you know who I am?”

Click.

.

After the shoot concluded, you flipped through the stills on one of your digital cameras. You were amazed; you had expected a successful shoot with Jongdae, but you hadn’t expected nearly every photograph to come out looking this good. You cycled through more shots, impressed when you found that this guy didn’t seem to have a bad angle on his body. And by the sound of the low whistle coming from behind you, you weren’t the only one impressed.

You looked over your shoulder to see Jongdae, his eyes fixed on your camera.

“You know,” he started conversationally, “I had heard rumors that you���re good, but I didn’t expect you to be this good.”

Your face heated a bit as you shrugged.

“You’re the one who’s so unbelievably handsome that he apparently can’t take a bad picture,” you replied. Only after the words left your mouth did you realize how flirtatious they sounded. You shot Jongdae a worried look, but he was just smiling as brightly as ever.

“Let’s just meet halfway and agree that we work well together, then,” he said cheerfully.

.

Your prediction was right: your photoshoot with Jongdae was very successful and garnered a lot of positive attention for the both of you. You suspected this was why you found yourself working with him again, just a couple of short months after the first shoot.

This time, you didn’t have the luxury of working in your studio with your perfect lighting and your air conditioner. No, this time, you were doing a shoot in a garden. It was a beautiful location for a shoot, you readily admitted, and the late spring sunshine provided wonderful lighting for the time being. But there was still the pressure of knowing that you only had a limited amount of time to work with this lighting, and you were discomfited to find that the same sunshine that gave you said pleasant lighting was also attempting to burn through the back of your black shirt.

Still, despite any complaints you may have had about your slightly less-than-ideal conditions, you couldn’t quell the excitement that came from knowing you’d see Jongdae so soon. You tried to chalk it up to professional interest, but you couldn’t deny the part of you that just wanted to see his bright smile directed at you again.

Fortunately, it seemed Jongdae was just as excited to see you again. As soon as the stylists were finished with him, he sidled up to you, bringing with him the wonderful shade of his umbrella.

“You look hot,” he said as way of greeting. You watched, amused, he visibly processed what he just said and hurried to correct himself. “I just mean, you know, the sun is bright. And you looked—” He decided to stop while he was ahead.

“Thank you, Jongdae,” you said with a laugh. “Are you ready to get started, then?”

Grateful for the way out, Jongdae nodded. “Very.”

.

Here’s what you saw: sunlight dancing on bronzed skin. Soft petals resting against soft lips. Blades of grass weaving through dark hair like the delicate caress of fingers. Eyes both piercing and gentle as they say, “I see you. I know you.”

Click.

.

The shoot ended as the sun began its descent and took with it all the best lighting. You were far from disappointed, though; again, you couldn’t help but be impressed by how flawlessly these pictures had come out.

You heard footsteps approach from behind you and half expected history to repeat itself with a low whistle. You were surprised, then, when Jongdae spoke.

“You know, we’re not too far from my favorite cafe.”

You turned away from your camera to give Jongdae your full attention.

“Would you like to get something to eat?” he finished, smiling bright and beautiful as ever.

You smiled back.

You went home that day with several rolls of undeveloped film and a scrap of paper with a scrawled phone number.

.

The next time the two of you met up, it was by your own arrangement. You’d made good use of that phone number, and it was just over a week before you found time to plan a date.

“I’m a bit worried,” Jongdae admitted. You were halfway through lunch at a cafe of your choice, seated outside at a wrought-iron table that offered a lovely view of the nearby park. You felt a flash of concern, but it settled when you saw how open and relaxed Jongdae’s face was.

“What are you worried about?” you asked, idly taking a sip of your tea.

“Well, I thought I knew what I was talking about when I took you to that cafe last time, but now I’m worried that your taste in food is much better than mine. How am I supposed to impress you now?” Jongdae, bless him, actually pouted a bit.

A slow smile tugged at your lips without your permission. You comfortingly patted Jongdae’s hand, heart fluttering a bit when he turned his palm to yours and intertwined your fingers.

“Ah,” you cleared your throat. “I suppose we’ll have to keep sharing our favorite places with each other to see who really has the better taste. Don’t you think?”

His hand squeezed yours and he smiled like the sunshine.

“You know, I think you’re right.”

.

Here’s what you saw: fingertips grazing a painted coffee mug. The peek of a tongue chasing a fleeting taste. The flash of joy in familiar eyes. A warm hand clasping another tightly as if to say, “I want this. I want you.”

Click.

.

Your first date had set the tone for the beginning of your relationship. Whenever the two of you found time between your respective new projects to meet up for another date, you took turns choosing where to eat. After the cafe you had brought him to for your second date, Jongdae had made it a point of pride to try to find the best eateries— not that you particularly minded. As far as you were concerned, both of you were the winners if it meant you got good food.

With time, your friendly competition had moved on from cafes to sophisticated restaurants and again on to—

“Ice cream?” you asked dubiously.

“Yeah! I mean, it’s summer. What better way to cool down? And we both know that not all ice creams are created equal.” Jongdae tugged on your hand, leading you to an ice cream stand that he insisted was one of the best in the city.

You had to admit, once you were seated on a park bench, swirled ice cream cone in hand, Jongdae might have been onto something. And he knew it.

“It’s good, right?” he asked, watching you with an almost cheshire-like smile as you tasted your ice cream and made a show of thinking about it.

“Hmm.” You forced yourself to keep a straight face as you scrutinized your ice cream. “I’m not quite convinced yet,” you teased.

“Yah, Y/N! Don’t pretend that you don’t like it!” he whined. He wrapped an arm around your waist and leaned against you. “It’s perfect! And if you don’t like yours, then you can try mine!”

This time, your skepticism was real as you looked at his ice cream.

“Jongdae, didn’t we get the same flavor? Why would yours taste any different?”

He just shrugged and made a show of taking a bite of his ice cream.

“You never know how these things work until you give them a try, Y/N.” He suddenly leaned further into your space, face softening into a more sincere expression. “So let me give you a taste.”

Your heart hammered in your chest as he leaned forward to press his lips against yours. They were lightly cool from the ice cream, but you immediately felt warmed by the kiss. It was slow, unhurried as the summer afternoon around you, and when you pulled away, you felt almost sluggish as if you’ve been basking in warm sunlight. Warm, comfortable, right.

His face hovered close to yours, his eyes watching your face as if it held all the answers. You slowly licked your lips, chasing the feeling of the kiss, and you were surprised to find that the ice cream somehow tasted sweeter than before.

Yeah, Jongdae was onto something here.

.

Here’s what you saw: tree leaves casting mottled shadows across an expanse of skin. Eyes dancing and crinkling at the edges in laughter. A smear of ice cream decorating a shining face. A fierce grin softening around the edges as if to say, “I love you. I love you.”

Click.

.

Months later, things settled into something steady and comfortable and warm between you. It was this warmth that reminded you of the spring day when you met, even now in the dead of winter.

Unfortunately, that was just a metaphorical warmth. In reality, you were sitting bundled up on Jongdae’s couch, wearing old sweats and two pairs of fuzzy socks to keep your toes from freezing off. Really, the only thing keeping you going at this point was your personal space heater, who had taken to draping himself across your legs while you two spent a lazy afternoon watching an episode of the latest drama.

“Yah, Jongdae,” you whined when he got up from the couch, taking the heat with him.

He tossed a quick smile over his shoulder as he disappeared into his bedroom.

“Wait right there, Y/N. I promise it’ll be worth it!”

You pouted, bundling your blanket tighter around you while you waited for him to do whatever it was he was doing. After a moment, however, your face melted into a curious expression as you listened to him rummage around in his room.

He came back soon after, hands behind his back and smile bright and contagious as ever.

“I got something the other day,” he sing-songed. You were still confused, but you couldn’t help but grin back as you craned your neck to see behind his back.

“What is it?” you asked, trying to catch a glimpse.

“Ta-dah!” With flourish, Jongdae showed you the camera he was holding. It was an old polaroid in surprisingly good condition, and you were sure your puzzlement showed on your face.

“I know you’re the photographer and all,” Jongdae said, “but I thought it would be nice for me to have my own camera! That way, I can have pictures of you for once.” Your heart swelled with affection.

“Oh, Jongdae,” you sighed, voice halfway between teasing and dreamy.

Jongdae tilted your face up to be level with his, eyes dancing.

“I love you, you know,” he said, just before kissing you.

It was as slow and sweet as your first kiss, and you sighed softly as he pulled away, far too soon for your liking. You had barely opened your eyes to look at him again when you heard the click of a camera shutter.

You gasped, your shocked expression making Jongdae snicker as he waited for the instant film to finish exiting the camera. He held it up victoriously, and you grumbled a bit even as you pressed against his side, waiting for the film to develop.

As you watched your form slowly materialized in the photograph, you felt more keenly than ever the love you held for this man.

.

Here’s what he saw: wisps of hair falling softly against a sweet face. Cheeks flushing with warmth and affection. Lips parting as if to call after someone. Half-lidded eyes confessing without fear, “You are my moment. You are my forever.”

Click.

[shayivanova-hnd1]

Evaluation (Part 1 - The Questions)

What was the project theme and what did you think of it?

The theme to Seeing the Light was using and manipulating light to our advantage to make the difference between a shot that is well lit by chance and having full control over our photoshoots. It gave us a better understanding of natural daylight and the different qualities of daylight. That way we know what the best modulation is for the different natural light settings.

I wasn’t super sure about whether I liked the theme of this shoot at first but as I kept going, I realized that light is fundamental in my images and a photo is basically my camera itself seeing the light. Without control over that light, we have no control over our images.

What part of the project did you enjoy the most/found most interesting (pre-production, production or postproduction)?

I personally enjoyed the production phase the most as I enjoy being around people and taking photos. I also probably enjoyed it the most also because that’s the part that involved me going out the most, making it the most dynamic. I also found it exciting in the sense that I was trying out new things and was gaining courage and experience, being forced to be out of my comfort zone.

What new techniques have you experienced?

I tried a lot of new techniques, including using my reflector consistently (it was sitting collecting dust in my storage room), using a gobo, flagging and using gel sheets. I also tried out different viewpoints, focal lengths and apertures and really shook up my usual preconceptions about what a portrait should be.

What technique would you like to develop further?

I would like to work on using gel sheets and flagging more as I really, really enjoyed using those. I think I will continue using them for coloured work when I can, and I will definitely try them out in the studio at some point.

Which photographers did you research throughout this project?

I researched quite a few. New and contemporary names I found were Vivienne Mok, Jessica Kobeissi and Manni Ortiz. Dorothea Lange and Richard Avedon were two of the classics I looked at.

How have they influenced your photographs?

They influenced me to be braver and more creative with my photography and to concentrate my portraits on the people I’m shooting. Another very important thing I learned from their interviews is the massive amount of planning that goes into their shoots, which showed me that the planning phase is actually the most important phase and helps everything after it run smoothly.

Which technique did you enjoy the most?

I enjoyed flagging the most. It helped me accentuate facial features and put my models in the spotlight.

Reflect on the feedback you have received how has this helped you to develop?

It has helped me figure out where I went wrong and the things I could change up for next time. It also helped me notice things I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise.

What do you feel is the most successful part of your project and why?

I think the most successful part of my project was communicating with my models and managing to get a variety of poses. That way my images ended up being interesting and my models were always on board to try out new things. Making them comfortable with the shoot meant I could ask some pretty weird stuff out of them (like to pose with a mandala on their face looking straight at the sun).

I never realized how important good communication skills were until I did a shoot for my brief with someone who had never posed and who I’d never met before. This basically forced me to be like right okay, I now HAVE to pose this person whether I like it or not, because they are paying me for these photos, and I am obligated as their photographer to give them the best customer service possible and give them memories they would never forget.

Did you encounter any problems in your project?

I did struggle with the initial planning phase and struggled with some lighting conditions. I had to reschedule half of my shoots due to poor lighting but did end up getting over the hurdle. Another problem I encountered was getting used to using manual white balance and getting used to changing it on time, which led to more editing needing done in the post-production phase.

The problems I encountered were mostly things I could’ve prevented by checking the met office more often and paying more attention to the little details(planning) before I start the shoots.

How did you learn from them and how did they affect your final images?

I learned to pay attention to my settings, get proper exposure in camera and to swallow my pride and change my plans no matter how much I hate it. I also learned that I can never just have one option for the things I do and I should always be ready to go with plan B. Luckily, I was able to make my final images look the way I wanted but if I didn’t have the post production skills and research I had, I most likely would not have been able to pull them back like that.

What HABITS OF MIND did you use throughout this project? (see next page)

I used Inquisitive, Imaginative and Disciplined habits of the mind. I investigated a lot, crafted, reflected, developed my techniques while also kind of blindly trying out new things and using my intuition to figure things out.

What SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE: META SKILLS did you use working on this project? (see next page)

I used Adapting, Focusing, Initiative, Collaborating, Leading when it came to my social work with others and adapting to having a heavy workload. When it came to shooting, I used Creativity, Curiosity and Critical Thinking.

What would you do differently given the chance to complete the project again?

I would have definitely tried to DIY props for my shoots and started using gobos and gels earlier. I would have also started experimenting straight away and been more confident in myself and my abilities. I would’ve forced myself a bit more to jump into the deep and delve into the unknown, and try my best to push my limits more and see what I can do.

Even though I already surprised myself a lot with some hidden talents I didn’t know I had, I wish I didn’t have to rely on getting enough courage last minute and practiced my communication skills before the shoots. I also would have done more practice shoots before my final ones to get more inspiration images by me, not just off the internet.

Discuss any technical issues with your final images? (Focus, sharpness, exposure, highlight/shadow detail)

Luckily, I didn’t have many issues in the sense of unusable images, but I did struggle quite a lot sometimes getting the focus on the eyes at aperture f/1.4 and having a high enough shutter speed for my zoom lens to avoid shake. Some of my images were also a bit underexposed or overexposed because the days I shot were spotty clouds so we would get sunlight for a bit and then it would go away, leaving me with loads of different exposures whenever I couldn’t change my settings quickly enough.

I also sometimes found the issues with my highlights being too soft, and I’m still unsure if that was due to the lenses I was using or the camera. It wasn’t anything destructive, but it was something I noticed and was conscious about which stopped me from fully 100% loving my finals.

[placetobenation]

$50,000 Tag Team Battle Royal

One of the things that I have found pretty interesting since we started doing the reboot of the Vaults is the lack of gimmick matches in this timeframe of the WWF’s history. In an era where almost every PPV features at least one gimmick match and these matches tending to be overexposed, this was a time where certain gimmick matches are much more rare which made them more special. One of those type of gimmick matches that we don’t see much of at this time is one of my favorite gimmicks matches and that is the battle royal. While it is not everyone’s favorite gimmick match, I’ve always had a fondness for this type of match as seeing all those guys in the ring at the same time was a sight to behold. Regular battle royals are always very fun and interesting, but on this night we kick it up a notch by having a battle royal involving tag teams. The aspect of having tag teams in a battle royal was very unique as you know longer have to watch your own back, but you also have to be mindful of your partner since if one was eliminated the whole team would be eliminated. It was also pretty interesting seeing another battle royal take place at MSG so soon since we last saw one back in August, but again having the tag teams involved made it feel different and it would be interesting to see how it played out.

There was no real build for this battle royal as the focus of this MSG house show was the special edition of Piper’s Pit which had Paul Orndorff and Bobby Heenan on as they kept the feud with Hogan hot while also setting up next month’s show. In a pretty cool twist, everyone involved in matches tonight prior to the battle royal were all in tag teams that would be included in the battle royal so most everyone would have to wrestle twice. It was announced that the winning team would earn $50,000 which was a pretty nice prize, but you do wonder why they didn’t include a title shot at the next house show to make it feel more important.

We have a pretty good collection of teams as we have 12 in total which means there will be 24 men in the match, and the teams include the tag champion British Bulldogs, the Hart Foundation, the Dream Team, the Moondogs, the Machines, the Rougeaus, the Killer Bees, Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy, the Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff, the mismatched team of Mike Rotunda and S.D. Jones, and the team of Chief Jay Strongbow and Steve Gatorwolf. The Bulldogs get the biggest pop from the crowd while the other face teams got good pops and the heel teams get pretty good heat. I like how Gorilla right off the bat stated that Studd and Bundy were the favorites to win because of their size, and he also mentions that Strongbow was coming out of retirement to compete in this match which was pretty interesting. The 12 teams waste no time and brawl to start the match as several men try to corner Studd and Bundy, and Spot quickly gets thrown over by Super Machine and the Moondogs are eliminated in record time. Big Machine pounds on Bundy as Rotunda and Valentine try to double team Studd and Haku and Dynamite trade blows, and Neidhart chokes Jones on the ropes as Strongbow and Gatorwolf try to eliminate Sheik. Studd pounds on Big Machine as everyone continues to pair off and attempt double teams, and Blair hoists Sheik onto his shoulders and tries to dump him out as Haku pounds on Valentine in the corner. The Harts are tangled up with Dynamite and Jacques in the corner as Super and Rotunda pound on Volkoff, and Strongbow tries to avoid elimination as Sheik puts Rotunda on his shoulders and tries to dump him out. Studd pounds on Super in the corner as Bret is knocked down and several men try to dump Bundy only for Studd to make the save, and Tama is thrown over the top though he lands on the apron as Super rams Beefcake into the buckle. The Bees try to eliminate Bret as the Machines try to dump Neidhart and Jones pounds on a Rougeau in the corner, and Volkoff saves Sheik from being eliminated as the Harts double team a Machine until Brunzell grabs at Bret. The Bulldogs brawl with Studd and Bundy in the corner as Brunzell looks to eliminate Bret and Blair tries to eliminate Beefcake, and all these men continue to brawl as Sheik dumps Jones over the top and eliminates him and Rotunda from the match. Rotunda doesn’t realize that Jones was eliminated as he continues to pound on Bundy in the corner and Haku pounds on Studd, and Rotunda and Tama try to dump Bundy as the Rougeaus work to try and eliminate Studd and Rotunda finally leaves the ring. Sheik then dumps Gatorwolf over the top and eliminates him and Strongbow as Blair tries to dump out Bret, and Sheik and Volkoff work on Tama as the Machines pound on Studd and several men are tied up with each other in the corner. Super backdrops Sheik over the top and eliminates him and Volkoff as Bundy and Beefcake double team Haku, and Raymond hoists Bret onto his shoulders and tries to eliminate him as Sheik has been busted open from hitting the floor. Bret and Dynamite brawl as both men tumble over the top and both the Bulldogs and the Hart Foundation are eliminated in a big shock, and the two teams continue to brawl on the floor as the Rougeaus work on Bundy and Super pounds on Studd. Big and Blair try to dump Beefcake out as Haku tries to help the Rougeaus dump Bundy, and Super pounds on Tama as Big rams Beefcake into the buckle and the Bees double team Studd. Haku and Super trade blows as the Bees brawl with Studd and Bundy, and the Rougeaus pound on Valentine in the corner until he escapes as Super rams the Islanders’ heads together. Beefcake backdrops Brunzell over the top and the Bees are eliminated as the Dream Team and the Machines are tied up with Studd in the corner, and the Rougeaus and Islanders trade blows until Studd pounds on Jacques. The Machines and the Dream team brawl in the corner as the Islanders pound on Raymond, and Jacques battles back on Studd only for Studd to backdrop him over the top and the Rougeaus are eliminated. Tama pounds on Valentine in the corner until Valentine battles back as Beefcake kicks at Super and Big pounds on Bundy, and Super backdrops Beefcake over the top and the Dream Team are eliminated. The Islanders double team Super as Big hoists Studd up and tries to dump him only for Studd to hang on, and Bundy clotheslines Big from behind which sends him over the top and the Machines are eliminated. Now with only two teams left, the Islanders square off with Studd and Bundy and the Islanders charge at them only for Studd and Bundy to pound on them in the corners. Haku battles back on Studd as Bundy whips Tama into the other corner and hits the Avalanche, and Haku pounds on both Studd and Bundy only for them to double team Haku on the ropes and Studd holds Haku for Bundy only for Haku to move and Bundy clotheslines Studd over the top to the floor, eliminating them and the Islanders win the battle royal and the $50,000.

The match itself was pretty good as all 12 teams worked hard and put on a solid battle royal, which shouldn’t be surprising considering the amount of talent that was involved in the match. Considering that most of the men in the match competed earlier in the night, they still worked a pretty solid match even though it just went over 10 minutes so that they didn’t overwork themselves. Watching this match, it was pretty clear what the pecking order of the teams were as the Moondogs, Jones and Rotunda, and Strongbow and Gatorwolf were eliminated first with Sheik and Volkoff going after them. I thought it was a bit of a shock that the Harts and Bulldogs went out as early as they did, but it made sense since it was pretty obvious that this would be the big tag feud going into the end of the year and having them eliminate each other was a smart move. I like how Bundy and Studd were pushed as the favorites based on their size and the fact that they made it to the end push that theory, but in the end some miscommunication that we’ve see a few times over the last few months cost them in the end. I also thought that Gorilla, Alfred, and Okerlund did a decent job as a 3-man team as Gorilla and Alfred called most of the action with Okerlund getting his thoughts in sporadically. This was a pretty good win for the Islanders as this helped give them some good momentum after just debuting as a team, but again it was weird that they didn’t receive a title shot following this as they could’ve had a great match with the Bulldogs. The crowd was into the match and popped big for the Islanders when they won. The Islanders get the win in the tag team battle royal and are $50,000 richer as all 12 teams move on.

Grade: **1/2

Be sure to leave your feedback on the 10/20/86 MSG show in the comments, to be read on-air during the Place to Be Podcast. This show is available on the WWE Network.