The photo above was selected by a jury to be shown at Rome Photo Lab, an international photo exhibition taking place in late September.
While I usually prefer to present work like this without much context, I thought I’d take the opportunity to do a complete 180 and betray that stance for easy newsletter content. So, here’s the story behind the shot.
In late March of this year, on an unusually tepid day, Margaret and I headed to Brighton Beach to nestle on the sand and take in some warmth after months of frigid weather. As soon as we set foot on the boardwalk, a figure of a man immediately stood out.
Now, I love a distinctive fitness discipline, especially one that’s performed in public and doesn’t conform to conventional exercise trends. We lucked out and happened to show up during the balance portion of this man’s workout. I quickly pulled out my camera and approached him.
I took a handful of shots, and I have to commend the man for his concentration, because he didn’t afford me a single glance, even as I stood six feet away with a camera to my eye. I loved the scene—plenty of drama with the gulls flying around, the diagonal lines, and a man’s struggle to maintain equilibrium.
Once he lost his balance off the railing, he noticed my presence. I gave him a nod, a smile, and I walked away, but not too far, as I was curious about the next phase of the workout.
I don’t recall exactly how he positioned himself upside down, but once again, I was taken with his peculiar approach. His core strength certainly impressed me as well. His legs kicked and swayed side to side, before stretching to the sky.
I then noticed the backpack positioned on the bench, which contained a tuxedo cat, fast asleep. This must be a regular outing for this duo.
I tried capturing it as part of the mise-en-scène, but alas, without a polarizing filter on my lens, the glare on the plastic porthole was too strong.
As I worked the scene walking backwards, I eventually landed on the decisive shot, the one at the top of this email. I was able to encompass the tableau, got good subject-to-background separation, and achieved the right balance in the frame between ordinary and extra, which pleased me to no end.
I walked back to find Margaret waiting patiently for me on a bench.
These moments keep me chasing the dragon, and they rarely present themselves, which makes them all the more exhilarating when they do.
If you find yourself in Central Italy on September 26th-28th, come see my photograph, and me, at Rome Photo Lab in Villa Altieri.
Arrivederci,
Luca Eandi
Chief Conditioning Officer