“The Shot”
Jack Parker of The David Crowder*Band – Photo by me, Brad Moore
“The Shot”
It’s something we photographers all hope for. The thing we strive to achieve every time we pick up the camera. The one image that could possibly define who we are as a photographer, and maybe even our careers.
But if we’re successful in our quest, what then?
The image above was shot during one of my first “real” concert photography experiences, last November (you can read about it right here). It’s during a pretty epic part of one of their songs, so I was already pumped before I shot it, then even more so when I saw how great it turned out in my edit later.
Since then, it’s become my signature image. Have I shot anything worthwhile since then? I think so. Have I shot anything to top it? That’s debatable… But I’ll keep trying.
My friend and co-worker RC Concepcion is also a photographer. If you follow him and his work, you’ve most likely seen his “Mommy and Me” photo of his daughter Sabine looking up at her ballerina momma, Jenn.
It’s a great shot, one that any portrait photographer would love to have in their portfolio. He loves it, his wife loves it, and everyone he’s shown it to loves it. But he’ll tell you, every time he looks through his portfolio, he wonders if he’ll ever get a better shot, or is this as good as he gets?
So, is having “The Shot” a good or bad thing? A blessing or a curse?
I asked Jeremy Cowart to share his thoughts on the subject…
“I personally think it’s far more of a blessing than a curse. At least you can say you’ve taken some good images you feel confident in. It’s much better than having nothing to show for. Also, I love the challenge of this idea. They say ‘you’re only as good as your last shoot’ and the pressure of that idea to constantly improve is massive and haunting and hangs over our heads like a boulder as we keep climbing higher. But I love that pressure of figuring out how to climb over that boulder. It extends beyond getting a better ‘shot’ for me. It extends into pushing my overall brand, coming up with new ideas, new ways to shoot, new ways to compete. Come to think of it, this ‘pressure’ you speak of is the defining element of my career that makes me a better photographer. And for that I’m grateful.”
What do you think? Do you have a “Shot” of your own? Sound off in the comments!