I haven't really done much drag related since June. I've been in a bit of a creative funk, and every time I start something, I end up giving up on it. And, for a while I'd done the same with both posts, and posting photos on the Facebook page. I got a commission request for a drag cartoon drawing, just before my birthday, and ended up almost giving the money back. The one thing that I have going for me, is that I pushed through the funk a bit, and got out a commissioned drawing that the client loved. And, it brought me to another drag show, and the realization that I had photos I hadn't posted from before Pride.
So, I started going through them, and posting them. And, while the Pride photos were nothing really special, because it's a totally different form of event photography from that of a drag show, I spotted something in the drag photos that I hadn't really paid much attention to. I get a different kind of drag show than any other person in the audience. Not only do I watch almost the entire show through the playback screen on my camera, but I get somewhat of a private show. During any of the local shows, the performers all expect me to be there with my camera. And, because of that, they search me out, and pose for the camera and/or sing directly at the camera, and therefore, directly to me. If that's not a private show, I don't know what is.
I was also reminded, of the fact that the Kings and Queens who I have photographed, who know of the blog, enjoy reading about my perspective of the shows, and what have you, because when they're in the moment, they don't really remember much about it, aside from issues like the lights being too bright, and the music not being loud enough, or wardrobe, hair or shoe issues. In other words, I was encouraged to not let my being in my head destroy my ability to create. Because whether it's a drawing, or a photograph, or a blog, for whatever reason, I have a voice that people want to hear. That was some powerful stuff right there.
And, with DragCon NYC coming up in a little more than a week, I need to be inspired, because the plan is for me to take a shit ton of pictures. Not only am I going to the Con, but I have tickets for the two official NYC shows with RuPaul queens, and who knows what else there will be in NYC for me to take pictures of. I'm going to have a backlog of pictures to get me through until Christmas.
The last time I was in NYC was in the early 2000's. I think I had just got my first cell phone? I've always been late to embrace technology, but once I embrace it, it's with full gusto. I think I had my giant clunky old digital camera (it was so old that it took floppy disks to record the photos on.) And, now, I'm going to be going back to the city, for the first time in (Over a Decade? REALLY?)a long time, with a digital camera, that I just bought 4 new batteries for, to go with the three batteries that I already have. (Hopefully that will be enough energy to get through a full day of DragCon and then a show at night!?)
So, I started going through them, and posting them. And, while the Pride photos were nothing really special, because it's a totally different form of event photography from that of a drag show, I spotted something in the drag photos that I hadn't really paid much attention to. I get a different kind of drag show than any other person in the audience. Not only do I watch almost the entire show through the playback screen on my camera, but I get somewhat of a private show. During any of the local shows, the performers all expect me to be there with my camera. And, because of that, they search me out, and pose for the camera and/or sing directly at the camera, and therefore, directly to me. If that's not a private show, I don't know what is.
I was also reminded, of the fact that the Kings and Queens who I have photographed, who know of the blog, enjoy reading about my perspective of the shows, and what have you, because when they're in the moment, they don't really remember much about it, aside from issues like the lights being too bright, and the music not being loud enough, or wardrobe, hair or shoe issues. In other words, I was encouraged to not let my being in my head destroy my ability to create. Because whether it's a drawing, or a photograph, or a blog, for whatever reason, I have a voice that people want to hear. That was some powerful stuff right there.
And, with DragCon NYC coming up in a little more than a week, I need to be inspired, because the plan is for me to take a shit ton of pictures. Not only am I going to the Con, but I have tickets for the two official NYC shows with RuPaul queens, and who knows what else there will be in NYC for me to take pictures of. I'm going to have a backlog of pictures to get me through until Christmas.
The last time I was in NYC was in the early 2000's. I think I had just got my first cell phone? I've always been late to embrace technology, but once I embrace it, it's with full gusto. I think I had my giant clunky old digital camera (it was so old that it took floppy disks to record the photos on.) And, now, I'm going to be going back to the city, for the first time in (Over a Decade? REALLY?)a long time, with a digital camera, that I just bought 4 new batteries for, to go with the three batteries that I already have. (Hopefully that will be enough energy to get through a full day of DragCon and then a show at night!?)
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