The Nutcracker

 

I wept when I made this picture.

Sometimes, as a photographer the beauty overwhelms you.  And this was one of those times. The moment was The Waltz of the Snowflakes at the close of Act I during the California Riverside Ballet's premiere performance at the Fox Performing Arts Center December 9, 2010 in Riverside.  I have always been drawn to the bittersweet, whether it be the music of Beethoven, Journey's "Don't Stop Believin”, the closing scene of the Titanic or in this case the Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky.

 Maybe its the artist in me, but as tired as I grow of an overly commercialized Christmas, I never grow tired of the music nor the performance of the Nutcracker.  When done right, the ballet captures the child in us all-at least it should- and tugs on the heart strings of even a veteran Scrooge-which I have tended to be on more than one Christmas.

Christmas time for me brings the emotions of the end of the year, when everything seems to ratchet up to a flurry of activity.  This was a long year for me, and it seemed that there was a lot of struggle not only personally but professionally.  This was the year that there was a lot of conflict in the particulars with my side work:  the long droughts of no calls, the negotiations, the politics of working in a small community.  And yet like many of my gigs this one came in a last minute call.  Since I happened to be on furlough that week from my day job, I just happened to be available.  So there I was with my camera, my emotions, and God’s provision once again.

One of the best parts of photography is when you can completely lose yourself in the work.  Its found in the capturing of the images and in the embracing of the obstacles to a great photo set before you. Its found in letting your life away from your camera simply disappear for a time.  There in the dark of the Fox Theater I had plenty of all of that. 

I was challenged by the hot theater gel lighting which would set my meter in many directions.  Also, this production of the Nutcracker was a minimal one and used a digitized backdrop.  This looked great in person, but was a tad green in my camera.

I found there were two synchronicities at work.  The first was that I was working as a photographer, yet enjoying the performance as a fan. This helped me get better pictures I think.  The second was the pure beauty and strength of the dance corresponding perfectly to that bittersweet music.

It truly was the best of both worlds. 

What else should I have expected from Sugar Plum Fairy Land?