The Moment It Clicks: Photography Secrets From One of the World's Top Shooters

my head into a girder climbing in the fog, really pissed off a bunch of TV stations in New York ‘cause I threw them off the air four separate times (you have to shut down the television signals up on the antenna or the microwaves will fry you), and National Geographic went way over deadline waiting for the shot, but I got a double truck [ 2 ] in the magazine.

    [ 2 ] Double Truck: A double truck is a two-page spread, and photographers love double trucks because you get paid more—more space equals more dough. It’s that adage: “When you finally get it right—film is the cheapest thing you use.” Pixels are free.

    Because I got my camera in a different place.

     
    Turn Around!
     

    I can’t tell you how many pictures I’ve missed, ignored, trampled, or otherwise lost just ’cause I’ve been so hell bent on getting the shot I think I want.

    You always have to go into the field with an idea. Hopefully, a good idea. But a good idea becomes a bad idea when you don’t see anything else.

    So turn around. Look around. If you’re shooting wide, go long. If you’re at eye level, get on the ground. If you’re on the ground, call for a ladder. All of these strategies generally fall under the heading, “Why don’t I do my reshoot now?”

    Turn around! And…if you hear music…listen.

    “I can’t tell you how many pictures I’ve missed, ignored, trampled, or otherwise lost just ‘cause I’ve been so hell bent on getting the shot I THINK I want.”

    I was slogging around a C-stand [ 1 ] and a strobe in the muck of the Savannah River, when I heard a saxophone. I turned, and there was a baptism march, heading for the river in the misty dawn.

    [ 1 ] C-stand: A multi-part lighting stand with an extender arm. It’s very solid and very heavy, but very adjustable. C-stand stands for Century stand, which is an old term from the movie industry from a time when these stands were generally 100″ tall.

    Fast as my hip waders would allow, I scrambled up the bank and grabbed a tripod and my camera, which was blessedly loaded with tungsten film. I cranked a few frames in the low light.
     
    The bluish nature of the film played well in the pre-dawn. The slow shutter made the marchers shimmer. It was the picture of the day and the day hadn’t even started.

     
    Persevere
     

    I was doing a story on Augusta, Georgia, while James Brown was still alive. He was Augusta’s favorite and most famous son, so this is a picture you need, right?

    Called his agent. Kept calling. Every day. For six days. Message after message. Sometimes we’d talk and I’d push as hard as I could. Got nowhere.

    Then, my phone went off, and it was the agent. “If you can be in downtown Augusta in 20 minutes, James will do this picture for you.”

    I was like a cartoon character. I sprinted out of Augusta National Golf Club to my truck and got to the address she had given me in less than 10 minutes. That gave me 10 minutes to location scout, set up, and be ready to shoot.

    Thankfully, the location was a pretty ornate building lobby. I walked in, and realized I had to make a stand right there. So I started moving furniture out into the street. (Try that in New York.)

    “I had no contacts, no permission, no one to ask permission from… things get real simple when you have no time.”

    I had no contacts, no permission, and no one to ask permission from, so I just did it. Hauled out a couple of chairs, signs, you name it. I threw up a medium softbox on a C-stand. Had no idea if that was the right light, but things get real simple when you have no time.

    Had just set the light and turned around, and there he was. Purple suit, green neck scarf. He offered a handshake. He said,“Hi, I’m James Brown.” I looked back and said,“I know.”

    The long hallway saved my butt ‘cause through the far doors is bright, bright sunlight. Backlight’s done! Drag shutter [ 1 ] and the whole hallway’s lit. Angled the softbox over him, just barely out of frame. You can see it in the top of his ultra-cool specs. In a corporate shot, this hit in the glasses is cause for concern. With James Brown, you can get away with it.

    [ 1 ] Dragging Shutter: Want more detail in the background when using flash? Use a slower shutter speed (known as “dragging the shutter”). This leaves the shutter open longer and gives you more ambient light.

    I shot 12 frames, and he looked at me and said, “Now, I thought you were a nice man, but here you go shooting