28 Jan Behind the Image #4 – Gunslingers and Gangsters
I want you to look real close at that image. Can you see the sparks? They weren’t edited in after I’d taken the photo, they were actually there.
This picture was shot at a small Wild West LARP and it is just about my favourite roleplaying image I’ve ever shot. Everything just lined up for me. The character, the pose, the angles, and – of course – capturing the magical moment where the sparks flew out of the revolver and the puffs of smoke exploded.
There were a few other similar shots that I got over the course of the weekend, but in each case the individual elements hadn’t quit lined up properly. But here they did, and I’ve been using this image in my portfolio ever since!
Aside from the smoke and sparks around the gun, I really love the movement in the scarf that the character is wearing. The way it flicks towards the left hand side of the image. There’s just something about it that’s really satisfying.
Can you tell I’m really struggling here? I can usually tell you exactly why I love an image that I’ve shot. It’ll be the composition or the colours or something else that is equally pinpointable (is that even a word). But this one, I’m not quite sure. Perhaps it was just because it was a fantastic weekend away with friends and the image really sums up all the fun I had of pretending to be a cowhand for the weekend?