A Moving Ballet

I love this behind-the-scenes shot for so many reasons. Of course, the light was golden. Our subject was one of the most beautiful seniors we’ve ever photographed. She was a gifted dancer. She’s not yet at the apex of her move in this shot but combined with the look on Mom and Dad’s faces and their form as they entered into the scene, something magical happened. They became participating actors.

It was almost like watching a ballet performance unfold, some grand, emotional story about an angel turning her face toward the glory of God, or maybe some young maiden finding freedom for the first time. Mom and Dad were completely immersed, looking so lovingly at their little girl who is now a young woman, literally about to spread her wings and fly.

Then there is what went into the making of this shot. I thought we were too late for the light. I grumbled and complained, but in the end, I trusted Kari’s vision. I could see what she was after and commenced to set up the technicals for this shot to happen. That’s my hand at the edge of the scene. I’m just the ‘grip’ holding the light. Kari was the first position photographer on this one. Her vision was the spark. There were four other light sources to be thinking about. The position of the sun, proper ISO, aperture, high-speed sync flashes, the direction, the movement, the timing, all of it mattered immensely to be able to pull off the shot. And this isn’t even THE shot. It’s just the behind-the-scenes shot, and it’s beautiful to me. It’s beautiful because it’s what we can all aspire to, and hope for. We can come together and work toward a united goal to make an ordinary moment incredible. I love that ingenuity and creativity. It’s part of God’s signature, and to me, it’s a testament to the stuff we’re all really made of. Great job everyone. All around, great job.