On Assignment: Columbus, Mississippi

"Sound of the Moment" by Wes Aldridge

After the massive storms ripping through the Southeast, I needed to post and calm down a bit. It seems that the area surrounding Nashville got pounded pretty massively. Nothing happened in Columbus until midnight, but then all Hell broke loose. I must admit, I was pretty freaked out. It sucks pretty bad to be in the middle of a nasty storm in a lonely hotel room of a strange town and see tornado warnings blink across the television screen continuously. But it seems to have passed now.

This shot is an outtake from a portrait shoot I did with a displaced New Orleans jazz musician named Brice Miller. He was one kool kat, in his words, and absolute majick with that trumpet to his lips. Real soul coming through that piece of brass. I shot mostly frames without the neon sign in them for the mag, but, man, wouldn't this make a helluva Budweiser ad poster?

I've got to be honest, this is one of my favorite photos I have ever taken. I think the mood, tone, lighting and subject all work together in harmony. I sat a stool by this brick and and maroon wall and walked off to start setting up a single TTL light. Brice sat down and started doing his thing. I listened to him play and I felt his musical power... and I just started shooting. It seems to me that I caught a true piece of him on film.

I was beyond excited after I started shooting him. I bet he thought I was a total freak, but I didn't mind. When I get pumped about a shot, you'll know about it. I bet not many people can say they get as genuinely excited about their job as I did shooting him. I liked this one and I think Brice did too. It was a great experience all around.