I stopped writing about my college shoots because I got in a little trouble last year about how I characterized one of them (and I’m not going to tell you which one), but this post refers mostly to photographic practice.
I flew in from Chicago this morning, got stuck in traffic, ate a dry sandwich from a grocery store for lunch, and arrived on location barely on time. I caught the end of an honor’s ceremony to catch proud parents congratulating their kids. I was disconnected and discombobulated by the change of energy, from the solitude of travel to intense emotion and sociality.
I worked really hard to orient myself, and mostly overshot my situations for the next couple of hours. The last item on the agenda was the 5 o’clock Mass in the big Basilica on campus. As the chorus of Benedictine monks chanted the beginning of the service, I felt myself settle into my own body, and into the piece of earth I was standing upon. I was in a large, echoing space, in a sacred time apart, the Catholic Mass. I got the vibe, and it was a good vibe.
Finally, I was here. I felt energized, connected, and really calm. I partook of the spiritual, and allowed it to flow into my creativity. The photos I took at the Mass were the best of the day.
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