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“Holy shit! Shane recommended me? He’s one of my inspirations. I love his work.” Jett would have no idea what this information means to me. I’m blown away Shane would recommend me, let alone even know who I am.
“Yeah, he did. He said he’s been following your career for awhile now and loves your work. Also said you have a very unique style to your photography.”
“You do realise I haven’t done concert photography, don’t you?”
His intense stare finally gives way to that grin of his I’m beginning to love. “Yeah, but seriously, with what I’ve heard about your skills, I’m sure you’ll come up with some amazing photos.”
His belief in me is unexpected but appreciated. Hell, when your own husband didn’t have unwavering belief in everything you did, it’s almost mind blowing for someone you’ve just met to show it.
“Thank you,” I say softly.
He grabs my hand and begins walking us down the corridor. “Come on, let’s get you set up,” he says, and my initiation into his world begins.
Jett watches me as I survey the stage. We’re standing to the side of it where roadies are busy with the finishing touches to get it ready for tonight. “You’re nervous about this, aren’t you?”
I turn to him. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t.”
“Why?”
“In the photography I specialise in, I have full control over the models, the lighting, and the angles I can shoot.” I motion toward the stage. “With this, I have no control over any of that. There’s also the clutter to take into account.”
He seems fascinated with this. “What do you mean by clutter?”
“Things like microphones, stands, cables, amplifiers, scaffolding in the background, lighting rigs… those sorts of things. And then if I’m photographing, say you, and I have the shot all lined up but then another band member jumps into the shot…that kind of thing is another issue.” I smile at him. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m really looking forward to this, but I’m nervous I’ll let you guys down.”
“Presley, I’ve no doubt you’re gonna do a spectacular job. You won’t let us down, so please stop worrying about that. Just listening to you talk shows me that you know what the hell you’re talking about.”
His words calm me a little. My nerves have already started to ease. Having the time to check the stage out and come up with some ideas has helped me with that, and I silently thank Hunter for his compulsive need for everyone to be here hours before the concert begins.
“Jett,” a guy calls out from the stage.
He turns to see who is calling for him, nods at the guy, and then looks back at me. “That’s our lighting tech, so I need to see what he needs. Are you okay on your own?”
I nod and give him a reassuring smile. “Go. I’m all good.”
“Okay, sweetheart. I’ll see you backstage after the concert,” he promises before jogging to where the lighting tech is waiting for him.
I watch him for a little while. He seems to have a lot of control over how the concert will run, and I’ve gotten the impression he takes charge of the band a lot. So far, though, I haven’t seen any evidence of that being an issue for anyone. They seem to naturally defer to him when a decision needs to be made. I like his take-charge attitude, but the thing I like about it the most is he leads rather than controls. There’s nothing worse than being told what to do with little regard for what you want.
A couple of hours later, I’m fully into the swing of this. The concert is packed and the energy is electric. Jett and the guys know how to deliver a show, that’s for sure. And their fans eat it up. They love the band in a way I’ve never seen before. I’ve been to a lot of concerts, but Crave draws the crowd in and makes them feel like old friends. And their music is amazing. I can’t believe I’ve never heard it before. I really do need to get out more.
I started off a little rocky, but I quickly worked out what I was doing. After spending some time watching each band member and learning their idiosyncrasies, I worked out the best shots to aim for. Jett has this way of leaning away from the mic during pauses in songs, so I’ve managed to capture that pretty well, I think. Van is the lead guitarist, and he and Jett have this chemistry on stage that creates some great photo ops. I’ve been able to capture their dynamic really well, and I can’t wait to see how the photos turn out. And then there’s Hunter on the drums and West on rhythm guitar. I got some great shots of the both of them, too, and I’m quietly confident all my photos will turn out well and the guys will be happy with them.
As they wrap the concert up, I take in their fans. It’s pretty clear they’ve loved every minute of it, but at the same time are disappointed it’s over. I can relate for a couple of reasons. Number one, I think I’ve fallen in love with photography all over again, and I could keep going for hours. And number two, there’s a backstage party after the concert, and I really don’t want to go. Hanging out with groupies is the last thing I want to do.
5
Presley
Me: I kicked ass.
Michael: Knew you fucking would. Thank god my ass is spared.
Me: No your ass is still on the line because now I’m at the after party and these people are nearly as bad as those fucking models I hate.
Michael: Leaving town now…
“What are you laughing at?” Jett asks as he comes up behind me and slides his hands around my waist. They settle on my stomach, and I look down taking that sight in. I like it. A lot.
