At the hop.

There are several photos I would like to take before i go to the big camera store in the sky. One would be on the field, court or ice during the "Finals" of any professional sport. Another would be at the "Painted Desert" or any natural park or landmark noted for it beauty. The last would be directly behind the band or rock star while they are on stage. I am not sure if I will be able to fulfill these dreams, some are more attainable than others, but I am going to try.

In photography a lot of the success comes down to placement. In other words, if you can see your subject, you are one giant step ahead; if you can't see them, you need to find a creative angle that makes it visually interesting. These are some of the challenges of taking pictures you are proud of---and better yet, ones you would want to hang on your wall.

In July, 1985, a historic event took place; it was called "Live Aid." For many of us it is a memory that we lived through, for some of us it was one our parents lived through---as these readers of "Snap.Shot." had yet to enter this world. The majority of us remember "Live Aid." It was kind of interesting that it took so many years for a video to be released of the day, especially since it was a fund raiser to help the people of Africa. There were two memories of July 13, 1985 that I have not forgotten. One was how Phil Collins played at Wembley Stadium and JFK Stadium in NYC---he took the Concorde over from Europe to play in the U.S. For the time, this was an amazing feat. Then there was the performance by the rock band, "Queen." Although popular in their day, they had kind of faded over time.

It was their lead singer Freddie Mercury who created the second visual I will likely never forget; from behind, the cameras panned the crowd. A virtual sea of people who were all swaying back and forth. From a viewers point of view it provided the "thrill" a lead singer must feel when they are performing and the crowd is fully engaged. Singing, swaying and mesmerized the site was incredible. When I received the 2 DVD set for the holidays a few years back, it was the performance I knew I had to see first. It did not let me down---it was as amazing as the day I saw it.

I have been fortunate to shoot pictures in a number of different locations---in pro sports I have been near the floor at several basketball games, right behind the goal in hockey, and close enough to talk with the players at a baseball game. I didn't talk with them though because they pretty much ignore you and I really had no desire to talk to them. I did shoot their pictures however.

The photo above is a start for me; recently at a sock hop, how much more of a starting point is that??, I wanted to capture the crowd from the vantage point of the DJ. Sure it is grade school and yes they are pictures that I would likely only appreciate, but the reason I took them was I needed the practice for the day it happens. I have spoken to people about going back stage and shooting pictures when the performer was on stage, but it has yet to happen. When it does, you can be sure you will be reading about it in "Snap. Shot.'

Thanks for stopping by.