Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Catching The Light


Another retro-post, I first posted this one September 21, 2009. Enjoy!
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A friend of mine told me once that photography is all about capturing light. If you don't capture the light, you don't have a picture. Lighting is also important in Theatre; without proper lighting, nobody can see you or the set. Never a good thing; just trust me on this. One of the first things I learned about lighting and photography is that the best light (the "sweet light" as I've heard it called) is found early in the morning at sunrise to about ten a.m. and from mid-afternoon to sunset. As a result (another photographer told me), you are always either skipping breakfast or dinner and not getting anywhere near enough sleep.

Great! I do this already; have been since my husband died. This is perfect. People were already after me to be productive and "get over it" three minutes after we left the Crematorium, and now I can make them happy. She shoots, she scores !

I went this weekend on a spur-of-the-moment shoot to Great Falls National Park near McLean, VA and to Shenandoah National Park in Front Royal, VA. I had planned on leaving early in the morning and making it a day trip, but decided it would be better to drive down Friday night instead. I was able to catch a great deal on a hotel, so I packed my bags and equipment and hit the road.

So comes the dawn on Saturday.

I bolt out of bed and look at the clock. It's 7 am. OK; it's not sunrise, but that's OK because I can't get into the park until 7 am anyway; right? Right. I don't know! Is it 7 am, or could I have actually been therre at sunrise...?!

Never mind. 7:01 am; I'm loosing the light. Hurry up, hurry up, HURRY UP!

Take a shower - yes? No. Yes? No.  OK. Maybe I better. Yes. Did I wash my face? WHy is my body wet, and my face dry?! Hurry up, hurry up, HURRY UP!

OK. OKOKOK. OK. Put on a clean shirt. Is it clean? I packed two clean shirts - why doesn't this smell clean?! I know I did laundry...

(Here's where I break for the following tip: if you find yourself wearing the same color all the time - say, Black, for example - it's a good idea to devise a method to determine and separate clean clothes from not-so-clean ones so you won't find yourself doing what I did next.)

...*SNIFF!*

UGH! But I pulled this out of the clean pile! What the..?!

OK. 7:30 am. I'm loosing the light! Hurry up, hurry up, HURRY UP! Extra deoderant!

OK. Grab equipment and car keys. Wait; where's the room key?! OK. Got it. Check check check check CHECK! Everything's here. Money, fanny pack, driver's license, keys, keys. Hurry up, Hurry up, HURRY UP!

Get in the elevator; go downstairs. Get in the elevator; go downstairs. Get in the... Whyisthistakingsolong?!

OK. GETTHESTUFFINTHECAR!!!! Put the magnetic door panels back on the doors - advertise, advertise, advertise! Car keys. WHERE ARE THE CAR KEYS?! OK. Pocket. Got 'em. OK. Getinthecargetinthecar GET IN THE CAR!!!

OK.

OK.

In the car, and on my way. Look for exit 44 and... There it is. O....K... Almost there.

*SIGH!*

Good.

*SIGH!*

Wait.

Did I take the Do Not Disturb door hanger off the door...?

*SIGH!!*

Call the hotel. Callthehotelcallthehotel CALL THE HOTEL!!!

"HellothisisMrsSHRImagesandPhotographyandI..."

"WHAT?!"

"Hello...This...Is Mrs. SHR Images and Photography... (LONG PAUSE)... 

(Once again, my husband was right. He'd always say, "Suzette, time is a constraint, not a variable," and I would reply, "yes it is; you just go faster!" I'm sure he was laughing his head off.)


OK. Yes, the room will be cleaned. Thank you. Good.

*SIGH!*

And here's the park. Good. Good.

Gettothefalsgettothefalls GET TO THE FALLS!

OK. I'm here.


*CLICK!*






And now I get to wait for the light to change....

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