In Concert…

Jordan Hall, Boston.  Taken with my camera phone.

On Wednesday night I went to Jordan Hall in Boston with my Dad.  This is the home of the New England Conservatory.  They give so many free concerts it’s amazing.  My Dad and I go several times a year.  A nice take for an evening on the town for two for under $20 (when you factor in an inexpensive dinner, parking, and T passes).

This past Wednesday’s performance was Igor Stravinsky’s Petrushka and Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 in E minor.  Beautiful.   Petrushka required almost 100 musicians on stage to perform.  Wow.  When I think about it, it gives me shivers.  So many people all having to work together “in concert” to create a masterful listening experience.  One wrongly timed triangle chime or flute note could mar the beautiful experience.  Everything has to work together and timing is paramount.

And so it is with photography. 

All the elements need to work together to create a photograph that will bring joy and interest to the viewer.  Sometimes it’s all in the timing – capturing that fleeting expression, the top of the wave, the bat meeting the ball.  And sometimes it’s all in how the elements are working together.  The subject matter, the lighting, the composition, the cropping, what’s included or excluded from the photograph.  All of this must work together and often takes time, patience, practice, and, of course, being in the right place at the right time with a camera in hand.