The Drive

DSC_0028, originally uploaded by bjhiggins.

I'm never sure how my attempts at night photography are going to go, as there are simply too many variables - how steady is my hand going to be? How still will my subjects be? How long will my shutter need to be open to capture an image? It's always a gamble.

First, it can be a blackjack. 21. All the pieces work together to create a solid image.

Second, it can be a bust. 22. Something's off. A blurry mess that vaguely resembles the desired image.

Sometimes I get the picture, but more frequently, I don't. That's why I shoot as much as I do. That's why I came home from Disney World with over 6800 pictures. You can't count on one and done. Give yourself room for error, and maybe you'll find the shot you like.

Take the shot above, for example. We were a few hours into our day-long drive. I was sitting in the back, shooting for fun, not expecting much of anything to really come out. After all, it was night, the light was dim, and I had to factor in the potential shake in my hands, plus the motion of the car, plus the fact that it's a candid and Jeff and Jon weren't posing.

Then we went under a well-lit bridge, and I clicked away, seizing the brief glimpse of light. Dark enough that we still have some motion blur outside the car, and light enough that we can see what's going on inside.

The fact that I happened to catch Jeff's mouth in the rearview mirror, in the middle of singing along with whatever Moxy Fruvous song was playing, was simply a happy accident.