Moments

The Moment: De La Soul, Eye Am Eye Be-T Dot Eric
The Moment: De La Soul, Eye Am Eye Be

I did not have a light meter to tell me the proper f-stop to set my aperture, nor did I have polaroid back to see what things actually looked like.  My camera was a Canon AE-1 Program, manual everything.

I would make the flashes pop every so often so I could see where and how the light fell, I did a few calculation to determine possible f-stops based on feet of the flash away from the subject, how much light I would lose because of the gel on the flash, it was the best I could do.

 

The Moment : Ladybug Mecca and Guru-T Dot Eric
The Moment : Ladybug Mecca and Guru

As enchanted as I was, I didn't stay for the recording of the song. I must have had somewhere to be. Before I left the studio, I was in the lounge, preparing to leave. Ladybug Mecca and Guru were seated on the couch across from me — not songwriting — just vibing, having a good moment.

I quietly took out my camera, waited a moment. Mecca looked into Guru. Guru looked into me.

The Moment : Nas, Tall & Strong-T Dot Eric
The Moment : Nas, Tall & Strong
I did not know Nas directly, nor know enough about him to conjure what he typically looked like in photograph. I didn't have a pre-conceived subject. I wanted to capture him as he was, in the moment. Nas has a strong,  quiet presence. Watching and observing from non-traditional angles allowed me to see different perspectives, different ways to allow him to tell a story without saying a word. I never directed his movements or actions. I just watched, observed, and captured.