The weather became less predictable as the week went on with rain forecast and delayed finally reaching us on Friday night through Saturday. The performance was set to be compromised and I started to wonder whether anyone would even make it to the evening.
By late afternoon the rain subsided and I began setting up for the performance. This was the first time I’d ever showcased my lighting techniques to a live audience, so the task was a little daunting. I’ve always acknowledged the performative aspects of my work and seen potential in removing the medium of photography from the viewers’ experience. But lighting for a photograph and for people is so totally different.
Löis Laplace’s music was a fantastic addition to the evening—a blind collaboration that somehow just worked. At 0730, as dark began to settle, I began illuminating the surrounding landscape out the window from the mezzanine of my chalet. The window was small and further dwarfed by my projector half leaning out of the available opening. I began to hear voices, laughter, friends chatting, and strangers meeting. People had obviously arrived but I had no idea how many, or what their reactions might be. After a good two hours I had finished lighting live, and set up a slideshow of the evenings performance.
Once again, I’m grateful to Löis for creating music specially for the occasion, and to the people who braved the cold and stayed longer than was necessary to be polite. It seemed the evening was a success and people seemed genuinely enthusiastic about the evening’s entertainment. Maybe this is the start of something different for me.
