Cathy’s piano. Window light, spring evening. BBQ and ice-cream. Kids running around. Plenty of commotion, sweet lovely commotion.
Exposure wide-open, trying to match the softness of the piano with the calm of the beautiful late afternoon light.
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I’ve been comparing my photographs lately with the emotions I had when the pictures were taken. It was pretty obvious that the best ones were taken when I felt most connected to my subject and the scene.
Sometimes, even though the photographic opportunity was there, I had to work real hard to get the “shot” and it doesn’t pan out in the end. Sometimes, without what one would think is an opportunity, the photograph seemingly appears out of nowhere.
In this particular case, the house was full of construction material and everything was scattered. Two young kids were running around screaming and jabbing all afternoon. It was chaotic and loud. In the midst of all this, I felt nothing but love. We had a wonderful meal with organic grilled radishes and zucchini, lovely salad with homemade dressing, free-range chicken, all complete with chocolate and raspberry gelato. The construction is going to lead to lovely spaces for this growing family, perhaps with new nooks and crannies for these amazing kids to play hide and seek in.
The piano keys made sense to me here. Within this teeming chaos and building, it is the calm meeting point for all the love and joy. Not to mention that being in the dining room, it had born witness to many many fine meals amongst families and friends. I had perhaps less than a minute to expose, compose and shoot this. Crouched down and buried in a small corner of the room. Manual focus on my prime 50mm lens, no less. And it worked, at least for me. I love the softness in the keys. I love how the late afternoon light played off them. In the end, I love their unwavering calm.
