Ice skating in the city, help please.

[annemarie_davelaar]

About once a month me a bunch of my colleugues go out for a photography trip. For the next trip our goal is to visit this lake area in the middle of the city and photograph skaters or just city skape. I have been here many times (especially during the winter when it's all white and pretty) and want to achieve something totally different, but do not know what exactly. I would like to try and photograph the ice skaters, but need some new fresh ideas.
Could anyone help me? What would you do?

The setting is in Beijing city (China) at a place called Houhai. It is in the old area of the city and the lake is surrounded by bars and shops.

Thank you for your ideas.

[wulf]

Ice skating? Try setting yourself some limits - for example, using a fast lens wide open (lots of light but minmal depth of field) or using a slow shutter speed and tripod (so most skaters are just coloured blurs... if you capture one standing still in the midst of the movement, that should look excellent) or getting down low and capturing the feet and legs instead of the whole skater or going for the widest angle lens you can and getting close to the skaters to see how that creates a sense of action or...

Well, you doubtless get the idea. Impose a limit on yourself and squeeze out some fresh creativity!

Wulf