“Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again.”
— Henri Cartier-Bresson
Often, getting the shot comes down to being in the right place at the right time. And sometimes the right time lasts only a moment, and then it’s gone forever. The Whiskey Gingers were playing a show at the Rose State College theater in the spring of 2019. I was shooting from the auditorium, and eventually decided I wanted a different view, so I headed back stage to see if I could get a vantage point from the wings.
The second I peeked through the curtains, Michael and Jenny turned to each other and had a moment that came and went so fast that I had barely enough time to lift my camera, compose the shot, and fire twice before they turned back to the audience. I was shooting on manual with available light, and I hadn’t had time to adjust any settings after moving from the front of the house to the back. The images on the camera screen weren’t promising, but I crossed my fingers and hoped when I got them on the computer I would have something to work with. One frame was blurry, and the other one immediately brought to mind the Drifters’ song “This Magic Moment.”
I have shot thousands of images, and I’m not one to put much thought into which is my favorite. But, if pushed, I would likely land on this one. It’s grainy because I had to crank up the ISO to shoot available light. But, the grain actually adds to the mood, and available light created such a rich blend of light, shadow and darkness that it is an essential part of the story being told.
I love how we can see Jess, who is singing lead on this song, fully engaged with the audience, unaware of this magic moment happening behind her.
Location: Rose State College performing arts theater
Camera: Canon EOS 80D
Lens: Cannon EF-S 18-135
Light: Available stage and theater lighting
