By Max Dickman
My heart pulses in unison to the beat of amplified drums, but everything sounds muffled as I concentrate on the perfect shot. My hands are sweaty from the poor air circulation of a basement in the middle of December, and I am being pushed around by swarms of moving bodies. Yet, I focus on the band performing, capturing the unseen. I zoom in on the guitarist’s hands, catching him plucking his strings under the warm lighting. The colors change and suddenly a purple glow gleams perfectly onto the lead singer. I lift up my little red digital camera and zoom in on her face as she passionately sings an original song. I get the audience involved, turning my body around to face them, as if I were the performer, lifting my camera and letting the flash catch their raw expressions.
It is now the final set of the night and everything is going flawlessly. The colors are vibrant, my camera is focusing perfectly, and I can finally relax enough to hear the music. Over the noisiness of the room, I hear one voice behind me say, “Wow, he has a really good eye.” A wave of delight comes over me, and I enjoy capturing the rest of the show with an audience.
Max Dickman (he/him) ‘27 is a visual communications major. He found his love for writing in his senior year English class. His favorite activities include thrifting and making jewelry for his friends.
