Sometimes I wish I could carry all my camera gear everywhere I go. Because it’s those times, when you least expect it, when something really special happens appears before your eyes. Like a bald eagle whizzing by just a few feet above my head, or the sun’s light hitting a tree like the tree’s about to catch fire, or in the case of this blogpost, a 40th birthday extravaganza like none other. The moment I walk in the doors of the Odd Fellows hall (where the gala was being held), I had instant regret of not bringing my video gear with me that evening. People were dressed to the nines from every time period imaginable, and it was like walking into a time machine that had no sense of time. The light was dim, the music was pumping with a very low base as guest after guest arrived dressed in the era they thought they should’ve been born in. Admittedly, I didn’t put too much thought into my costume, not knowing what I was getting myself into, so I pulled together some shiny skinny pants, a silver dress shirt, combined with a fancy Smithbilt cowboy hat that I had won at a Calgary Stampede afterparty, and called myself the Space Cowboy. So when I moseyed my way into the depths of the fun birthday gala, I noticed that there was no one capturing the event with any video. And that’s when I decided that something’s better than nothing and pulled out my iPhone out of its holster and began shooting. Was it the best way to capture an event like this? No, not at all. But at the very least, I knew I had to give it a go, even in the very low light conditions, and the rest would have to be hopefully saved in post production. And lucky for me, I think I managed to pull something really fun and interesting together, even if the video quality itself wasn’t optimal. But don’t take my word for it, take a peek for yourself here.
