The Iowa Photo: House concert

This was my first house concert. The husband of one of my wife’s cousins asked if I would take photos of his son’s band when they played in Iowa City. I was happy to do it. It’s all about having experiences. The house manager deferred to me whether to leave the one ceiling bulb on or turn it off and rely on the illumination from the two, colored light sources. I guess the two cameras made me the expert? As a photojournalist, you’re taught not to influence the situations you encounter. Our presence likely affects the actions of our subjects. Anything we can do to not further disrupt the situation is the right thing to do. Be a fly on the wall, so to speak. Even though I wasn’t there in a professional capacity, it’s difficult switching off work mode. That and I was excited for the possibilities the lighting would produce.

The ceiling light was turned off. After shooting some normal photos, I dropped the shutter speed to 1/4 of a second. I rotated the camera as I pressed the shutter release, trying to make a circular arc.

It would have been a different show if the ceiling light stayed on. The darkened room and colored patterns dancing along the walls fit the performance.