Friday Fire Photoshoot

Ning Kang Chia

Armed with a tripod and a camera, Matthias Maurin (12) tread down the shoreline in search for the best spot for a late night photo shoot. Jessie Ross (12) and Ning Kang Chia (12) followed him silently, marveling at the mesmerizing waves and soothing sand.

It was a Friday night and the PokéOlympics were still going on. Matthias had decided earlier that the theme of the photo shoot would be “fire.” With that in mind, his bag was filled with goodies—flammable ones. He took out a bundle of steel wool and squeezed it into a whisk tied to a long wire.  Matthias proceeded to light the contraption on fire and started spinning it, much like how a cowboy would lasso. A brightening cone of light formed and sparks began spewing all over the place. Jessie and Ning were both awed at the beautiful sight.

They learnt how to do this trick soon after, and the photo shoot officially began. Matthias provided clear instructions to the modelling duo as they scrambled to strike the perfect pose. It was mostly a series of trial-and-error, as getting the perfect lighting was not an easy task. Ning’s camera proved to be the solution to this dilemma with its blinding flash. At one point in the shoot, Jessie spun the burning whisk at Ning while he blocked the molten iron with a store-bought umbrella. His pants nearly caught on fire.

The highlight of the night approached when Matthias lit a stick on fire, creating a gigantic torch. He wrapped a stick with cloth, doused it with gasoline, and a little spark was all it took to make it burst into flames. Jessie and Ning tried their best to stay still in the photo while flailing the torch around, creating an illusion that they were painting in the air with fire. Jessie was particularly impressed by this and said, “Never have still images had so much life in them.”

By then the PokéOlympics were over, and Keito Watanabe (12) joined the pyromaniacs. For the others, it was a photoshoot; but for Keito, it was an opportunity to relieve some of his pent-up stress. He (given permission) grabbed the blazing torch and began whipping it in the air. Coupled with the deafening “whoosh” of the flames, Keito felt he had immense power and enjoyed himself. When asked by Ning about this intense sight, Matthias responded with, “it’s not being childish; it’s being childlike.”

Playing with fire brings out the wild kids that always reside in us, suppressed by expectations from society. Fire makes people feel young again and rekindles their spirit to achieve.