My Obligation to You.
“A photograph captures and freezes a moment of time. A good photograph captures and holds one’s attention. A great photograph allows the viewer to interpret the moment.”
– Michael Wright
Most “Shots” are an uncollaborative joint effort of the musician and the photographer. Each determined to do their best, in a field they love, produce a split second that can never be repeated. It is an exhilerating feeling when you witnessed the occurrence. It is a phenomenal experience when you are the one who has frozen that moment.
Photography carries a power that holds up under the relentless swirl of today’s saturated, media world, because photographs emulate the way that our mind freezes a significant moment. – David Griffin
The above quote by David Griffen during his TED Talk in February 2008 has stayed with me since I listened to it. The photographs that I post is how I see live music performances. My aim is to capture a moment that makes the viewer wish they had attended or, if they did attend, remind them of the experience.
No live performance photograph that I have ever taken was staged. Over time, I understand the routine of the musicians but I never know, with 100% certainty, what they will do. The photograph above was captured because I placed myself where I could capture such a shot. I wanted the musician to be where the horns were near his head. Josh Barnette did not place himself in that spot for me. He was just playing.
The photograph below was captured because I sensed something was about to happen. I had no idea Jace of Madam Radar would jump. In previous years of photographing this group, I had never seen Jace jump like this. This shot occurred because I felt, in the seconds before, that something was about to happen.
Most of my time at any concert is spent with the camera against my eye. It is not uncommon for me to take 2,000 to 6,000 shots a night. I do so because an experience occurs every split second. In May of 2023, I followed Ian Moore for three consecutive days, in three different cities. The shot below occurred in Houston, Texas, the first of the three cities. It was the only time he jumped. I photographed him again in September 2023, in New Braunfels, Texas. He did not jump.
Below is a photo of Bo Luna captured June 01, 2024 at Buck’s Backyard. Seeing the lights hit the trees was great background. Bo cooperated not because he knew what I wanted, he was lost in the moment of the song and his passion caused him to open his arm. I had placed myself in a spot to capture an occurrence with the lights behind. We made a great team for this second.
The photograph below captured February 2021, is a reminder to me that even in the most difficult scenarios, persistence pays off. The lighting at this venue had declined significantly from the months of excellence I had experienced only months prior. I was on verge of leaving when the stage lights went out. I happened to be in the right place, at the right time. I would not have been had I left. This shot captures the passion of the audience. No one asked them. They just did it.
You are an experience. You are a story. I will capture, display, preserve, and tell it to others. I have an obligation to do this in a manner that honors you. What I have come to realize is that I have another obligation to you. An obligation that is more than posting the photograph. These photographs are a chronicle of me. This is what I deem to be important. I therefore must tell you why. For it to be memorable I must give context to them. I want you to view and give your interpretation but within a framework. My obligation to you:
I will post high quality photos that conveys a memorable second of an event with the context of why I want you to see it. I will do this in a manner that honors you.
