A Smile to End the Year
I’d like to end this dark year on a bright note, so I hope this image of the geisha Mamehana and the story behind it bring a smile to your face, as it did to mine!
Tired and Running Out of Time
This portrait was made at the end of a photo session, a time I always need to be careful. It takes an hour to get to the tea house and load/unload all my gear, three hours to set up, and then I’m photographing for another three hours.
After seven hours of pretty intense concentration, I’m usually exhausted, but in good way. I know that when I’m tired I can get careless, and that’s when I can make a mistake. I always try to be on guard, but sometimes things just happen, like on this day.
“That’s What You’re Laughing At?”
Mamehana and I were surrounded by light stands, reflectors, and other photo equipment, and we were both sitting. Because there was so much gear around us, I had little room to maneuver.
I was focused on composing the portrait, and I was pretty tense because I only had a few minutes left. I finally had the frame and lighting just as I wanted them, and I started making images.
Suddenly Mamehana started laughing. “What’s wrong?” she said.
I stopped and looked at her over my camera. “What’s wrong with what?”
“Your leg!” she said as she started cracking up. I had never seen her laugh so hard.
I had no idea what she was talking about until I looked down. As I said, I was tense and in a hurry. I was scrunched down so I could look into my camera’s viewfinder. Because of this, only the ball of of my left foot was touching the ground. With my heel in the air, the muscles in my lower leg had tensed up, and my leg was bouncing up and down.
I was was so intent on Mamehana that I hadn’t even realized it.
“That’s what you’re laughing at?” I said.
“Yes!”
When I was in elementary school, my friends and I would sometimes have contests to see who could make their legs shake the most, but even then I didn’t think it was that funny.
Mamehana thought this was absolutely hysterical.
I put my heel down on the floor and my leg stopped shaking. I was a little disappointed because I wanted these portraits to be more serene. That plan was out the window, and my time was running out.
I adjusted the lights and reflectors some and sat down again.
I could tell it wasn’t going to work. Oh, well…
This time time I intentionally lifted my left heel so all the weight was on the ball of my foot again. It took a few seconds, but my leg starting vibrating uncontrollably.
Mamehana tried, but she couldn’t help herself. She just started laughing.
And laughing!
She was laughing so hard and moving so much that I had trouble keeping her in the frame.
I was quickly panning my camera left and right to match her movements, all while my leg was bouncing up and down. This was the one frame where Mamehana was positioned just where I wanted her.
I don’t think I have ever made anyone laugh as hard as I made Mamehana laugh that day.
I wasn’t laughing much then, but I can smile at the memory now.
Have a Happy New Year!
I hope Mamehana’s smile brings as big a one to your face, and that you end 2020 and begin 2021 on a bright note.
And with a smile! 2020 will soon be behind us!
Happy New Year, everyone!