Standing On Dangerous Ground...
Believe it or not, some people actually think that I have a decent eye behind the camera and all. Now me on the other hand, I'm usually attempting to visualize a scene or create a moment during a shoot. I know, I know, I know, most professional everything have a plan, perhaps that's why I got dropped from the sniper unit (what do you mean we need to stay hidden).
A few weeks ago, my buddy asked me if I would assist him for a wedding shoot for a friend of his and I agreed once he informed me there would be Hot Cheetos at the reception. I hope you all know I'm joking, I'm unsure if I've had ten Cheetos in ten years but I digress.
The initial part of the shoot was taken in a hilly, wooded area which at first glance had me feeling as though I had accepted far more than I could handle. I'm not a fan of heights and or steep hills but here I stood looking up at my buddy who was laying out the rules of engagement for the shoot. "We're going to up there and shoot from this angle and I was thinking we'd get this tree in the shot and then we'll go down to the stream and on those rocks..." IN MY MIND, my scary self was going to stand exactly were I could actually stand without the fear of rolling down the side of a hill to my death.
I could see the excitement and adrenaline in my friend's eyes and I imagine he could see the hesitation and fear in mine, I mean when I had them opened that is. After hearing his ideas, it was time to put one hiking shoe in front of another in order to see where I would find the best footing to eventually lose my life. Look, I love the outdoors just as much as the next person but I also LOVE stability, stability in the sense of having somewhere to stand without the fear of falling. Speaking of falling, yep... Almost to my deeeeafth off the side of the hill! I have zero idea what happened as we were making our way to scout the creek when, my shoe gave way on some loose gravel and "BOOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE", my butt hit the rocks and I thought for sure I was a goner if not for the branch which I clung to asking the Lord to spare my life.
"Jeeeeeeeesus, it's your boy, have mercy pleeeeeease..." Of course Jesus came through and that two foot drop to the bottom wasn't too bad. People have died from less, don't judge me or @ me, so many condescending eyes!
These two love birds actually did everything asked of them and they were more adventurous than I would've thought, given the fact they were dangling off of the side of a cliff and wading in water straight from the snow capped mountain.
It amazes me still that corny jokes and a camera have allowed me to capture so much over the course of the last few years. Maybe someone at Sony will throw me a shirt one day and think I'm cool enough to lead a rouge photo class or two; then again, maybe my I'll just keep attempting to find my footing within this hobby (see what I did here).