another late night

Photo taken of Cori Matsui on electric guitar and Joe Willard on stand-up bass at the Civic Youth Ensembles jazz concert on Thursday, April 21, 2011. Click on photo to see it larger.

I seem to be happiest working on my photos late at night. While listening to jazz on Detroit's WCRJ-FM radio station, I sit here at my laptop in a room with only two lights burning and time passes without my noticing. All of a sudden, I'll glance up at the digital clock on my screen and see it is 2 AM. Sometimes it's closer to 4 AM. Occasionally 5 AM.

Gosh, I wonder what it would be like not to have a passion that consumes you? Hopefully, I'll never find out.

My work with the young musicians of the Civic Youth Ensembles continues. But not for much longer. Their final concert is Sunday, May 15th and that's it for the season. How I am going to miss them! Miss going down to Orchestra Hall twice a week for rehearsals. Miss parking in the musicians lot and hearing the security guards Mel or Dan call out, "Hi Patricia!" as I come in through the Stage Door. Miss having such amazing music wash over me for hours on end. Miss hearing the life stories of these passionate young musicians as I record interviews with them. Miss trying to find that new angle, texture, layered perspective, gesture, expression or mood with my camera. Miss downloading hundreds of photos every week and opening them up with the same excitement I had on Christmas mornings as a kid. Miss working with my photos to get them looking the best I possibly can. Miss playing with edits and sequencing.

I love every step of the process. Well, taking care of the business end of things isn't exactly my favorite part. Like when I found out a week ago that, before I could publish the photo book I had in mind, I would have to get a signed Model Release form for each of the 500 musicians in the Civic Youth Ensembles program! That wasn't much fun. But, after a rather sleepless night, I sat down and wrote a group email explaining that in order to create a photo book that the parents and musicians could buy, I would need for them to download, print out, sign and mail me back the attached Model Release form. Luckily I already had 100 of them in hand. That just left 400 to go! But, since Heather of the CYE staff sent my email to 727 parents and musicians on their list last Thursday, I've been getting a good response. It will happen. I'm now confident of that.

I have also been getting emails requesting that I send email attachments of the photos I've taken of themselves or their children. I had invited them to do so in my group email because I really do want to share these photos with the people who will most appreciate them. It is a time-consuming process but worth it. I would want these pictures if they were of me or my kids. It's the least I can do. Everyone has been so patient with my constant click-click-clicking in their face. What good folks!

OK, so now it's close to 3 AM and I still need to take a shower before going to bed. Thank goodness I can sleep in in the morning...