Spin Doctor

Where’s A Number Cruncher When You Need One?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

At the outset, let me assure you I am no gambler. I don’t care about racehorses. I couldn’t give a fig about greyhounds. The gambling gene simply passed me by. Simple as that.

But I was in Dawson City in the Yukon recently and of course I had to check out the historic venue Diamond Tooth Gertie’s, famous not just for being a non-profit casino but also for its excellent floor show. This shot was taken just before the cabaret started, while I was trying to get the best results in low-light conditions.

Yup, you could say I was gambling on the light.

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Gamble's Soup

(With Apologies To Andy Warhol)

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

There’s a great Australian expression that might not be in common use around the world, but it sums up this photograph rather aptly. The expression is simply the abbreviation "NQR" - which denotes the phrase "not quite right".

Sometimes, though, an image that doesn’t quite live up to expectations produces an entirely different effect - and I reckon this shot falls into that category.

As some of you might remember, I was in Dawson City three weeks ago, at the invitation of Yukon Tourism. After watching the evening’s entertainment at Diamond Tooth Gertie’s, I published an interesting series of the dancers at Diamond Jubilation and this image was shot the same night.

I had already been told that while cameras were allowed at Gertie’s, video footage was not permitted during the show. Nonetheless, when I walked into the place, I double-checked at the front counter and was given the thumbs-up. Because I prefer to shoot without a flash, I had to work the options to try and get the best results.

Having worked with two cameras right through my week in the Yukon, that evening I left the Pentax K200D with the 300mm lens in my hotel room and opted for my Pentax K100D with the 18-125 Sigma lens. The lighting in Gertie’s is interesting - low enough to be unobtrusive yet not bright enough to shoot long range with ease if you choose not to use a flash.

I watched people using the slot machines along the wall that faces the side street and the colours and shapes caught my eye. There was the immediate compulsion to take a shot that showed the players in silhouette, almost like shadow puppets, with the richly textured background comprising bright colours and the arches above each machine.

I only shot one frame, because the cabaret was about to begin, but I wish I’d taken two or three more shots. In retrospect, I’d like to know what you think. Should I have focused directly on the machines, leaving the players out of focus? If you have the time to leave a comment, let me know what you think.

And for all those who are wondering, I’m not a gambling man. I wouldn’t know which direction a horse race is run, and I would be more at home using an automated train ticket machine than a slot machine. Besides, photography is far more fun.

And even if an experimental shot like this is NQR, there’s only one solution. I’ll have to travel thousands of kilometers back to Dawson City with my cameras, to get the shot right next time. Would I do that? Yup, I’d be delighted to.

Diamond Jubilation

A Blur Of Colour And Motion At Gertie's

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Last week, on my second night at Dawson City, I spent a couple of hours reliving history at Diamond Tooth Gertie’s. In case you haven’t heard of it before, this is a non-profit gambling hall named after Gertrude Lovejoy, famous for wedging a diamond between her teeth during the gold rush of the 1880s.

They have three cabaret shows a night at Gertie’s and I guess sitting halfway back down the crowded hall was not the smartest thing I did, especially since I wanted to try and get some unique photographs of the famous show.

Because I do not use a tripod, I should have headed upstairs, where I would have got a better view and where I would have been able to rest my camera on the wooden balcony to hold it rock-steady.

The problem here is the level of fitness of the dancers. They move swiftly. Yes, S W I F T L Y. Even using a quick aperture setting, I was barely able to get a shot of them without a shimmering blur.

Next time you come round, I’ll show you my shots of the opening number, where not one of my images of the brightly coloured cancans is up to scratch. But I’m glad I didn’t give up.

I did the best I could under the circumstances. Then, more than halfway through their routine, where the dancers changed costumes just as rapidly as they pirouetted and twirled, my opportunity presented itself without warning.


First, two of the dancers bent down and picked up two long, broad sashes. Then the other two did the same.

Suddenly I realised that their speed could be used to great advantage in an unusual series of photographs. The length of the sashes gave me a wonderful opportunity - and all of a sudden I realised that I was actually sitting in a great spot to make use of the lighting, the backdrop, the lightning-quick choreography and the rhythmic motion of the sashes.

Just goes to show - when you think you’re in the worst possible spot to take photographs of something you only see once in a lifetime (hey, how many times do we get to visit the Klondike as guests of Yukon Tourism?) something always comes along to give you a startling opportunity.

I guess the trick is to recognise the opportunity and make the most of it, even when things seem to be going wrong.