Life is a Party

“What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.” – Karl Lagerfeld

As a photographer, I am particularly harsh on myself when it comes to taking photographs. I am always thinking technically, always thinking about the best ways to capture a moment.

But this moment just happened. No thinking, no planning; just an incredibly magical moment of spontaneity.

There I was at the end of Groovin the Moo, a festival that tours Australia every year, and I was the happiest I had ever felt. I had met someone that day, someone who would change my life forever. My heart was glowing and I felt like exploding with joy.

Just at the very moment I was experiencing these feelings, the set ended and the confetti went off. It was everywhere! Flying through the sky and through the crowds; just like how I had felt in that very moment.

I had to take a photo. I didn't care that people's hands and phones were in my way or that the lighting was a bit weird. To me it was, and still is, the perfect photo.

The photo was taken on my iPhone X in LIVE mode; so if you hold it down you can actually experience the magic all over again! I chose not to edit the photo in any way as it really captures the moment. I like that the lights are a little blown out and that the hand on the left is a bit blurry. It makes it real, and it reminds you of the magic.

Taking photographs on a phone is a strange thing for me, as it is for most photographers. We spend all this money, effort and time researching the perfect camera gear for what; everyone has a camera on their phone now! With most of the cameras on phones offering 12 megapixels and Samsung releasing a 108-megapixel camera phone (!!), it has become increasingly difficult for us photographers to compete.

“Photography has no rules; it is not a sport. It is the result which counts, no matter how it is achieved.” – Bill Brandt

I also love that anyone can be a photographer though, because now even more moments can be captured. People overthink photography and the technical elements behind it, but ultimately the end photograph is what really matters. If you take a photo with your phone on a rocking boat and you happen to get one of the most beautiful photos you’ve ever seen or captured, but there was no thought behind it, that doesn’t make it a bad photo. Spontaneity allows for some of the best moments to be captured, and more importantly shared with the world.

This mobile moment was a new one for me, but one I love very much. I look at it and smile, remembering how incredible I felt at that very moment. How did I feel you ask? I felt like jumping up and down and dancing to my heart’s content whilst looking into his eyes and knowing I had found something. My soul was glowing, my heart beating in my chest, excited and scared all at once. Although I can never relive that day, seeing this photo again takes me back to that very moment. And that’s what photographs are all about; capturing moments for you to relive over and over again. Even if that photo is taken on a phone, you will still be able to feel the magic that was.

When I see this moment, my soul feels like partying. And after all, life is one big party.