I might be hanging onto the outside of an airplane at 13, 000 feet. Concentrating on the exact moment to let go for a shot as skydiving team exits the airplane.
I might be crouched in the open door of a photo-plane. Finding the balance between freezing the airplane in flight but capturing the motion of its spinning propeller.
I might be at a party scrambling to focus, frame, meter, and shoot in seconds as a few anxious party-goers coo, "Take a picture of us!"
I might be kneeling on the grungy floor of a rockshow. Trying to capture not only what little light there is but also the pervasive 'energy'.
Then again, I might just be out on the street...watching. Or sitting at a computer...processing.
Technical matters are one thing. Seeing and capturing something unique from the obvious is another matter. A 'prepared' shot is a rare for me because I prefer to make images on the fly. I love to catch those at play in video and in still photos.
I have seen sights while capturing skydivers that I never considered I would see. It has spoiled me. Where else can one find subjects able to be captured from any angle, at any time, at a moment's notice? An experience in both discipline and freedom. But I still have yet to come close in bringing the entire experience to my viewers.
Much the same working with airshow performers. Perhaps not as 'free' as the skydiving environment. But once again the freedom of movement is meshed with the discipline of a shoot. Stabilizing a camera in the open door of an aircraft? Shooting another aircraft who's engine churns away less than 100 feet away? Not always the easiet.
Compared to the above situations. Shooting concerts and parties may sound like a breeze. Anyone who has done this kind of shooting can tell you it's not. Aside from the constant issue of lighting. Simply 'gauging' the energy of a room in an effort to find the most interesting subjects can be a challenge. But one that is readily accepted. Afterall, finding something that others do not is the trick...right? Sometimes it feels like a gamble. Then sometimes you find yourself in the right place at the right time.
My work has been seen in magazines such as Parachutist, Skydiving Newsmagazine, World Airshow News, Air & Space Smithsonian, and Midwest Flyer. My video work has been featured in numerous promotional videos and some documentaries.
All in all, I have fun. That is what keeps me doing it. And who can argue with that?
Nick Halseth
612.703.1624