Right before the gig

This frame lives in anticipation. No players yet, but the instruments are already in dialogue — the hollow-body guitar leaning with purpose, the upright amp humming quietly to itself, the pedals strewn like notes before the solo begins. It’s a moment I’ve always found more evocative than the performance itself. The absence becomes expressive.

Shot on monochrome, grain unapologetically included, this wasn’t meant to be clean or polished. I exposed to protect the highlights — the reflective lacquer of the grand piano and the shiny knobs on the amp. Shadows fall naturally, but I let them creep in unevenly, especially on the left, where the plastic chair feels like an intruder from another room. Still, it balances the scene and grounds the composition.

I placed the mic stand deliberately off-centre. I didn’t want symmetry. I wanted a trace of chaos — coiled cables, misaligned chairs, and the latent tension of sound about to erupt. This isn’t a concert. It’s the breath you hold before one.

Technically, it’s far from perfect. Focus isn’t razor-sharp. Contrast is heavy-handed. But the intent carries: to preserve a fleeting silence before the first note breaks it.